Fusion...HA! 2 The Dead Zone
by Saiyan Hunter
Summary: Boo is back and looking for revenge. Gogeta is the target and the original creator of the Buu-droids is now out for world domination. Trunks and Hunter meet again and new fusions are formed in Fusion...HA! 2- The Dead Zone
1. Enter Dr. Boo

Part 1: Enter Dr. Boo

"We're here," said Bulma. ChiChi opened her eyes and saw endless dark. There were tiny glowing spots in the distance. Even closer than that was a large, gray mass almost directly in front of them. The view was awe-inspiring.

"The stars, the moon, they're so beautiful, Bulma. I never knew that space was so…beautiful." ChiChi put her gloved hand forward and tried to touch the stars. She and Bulma were wearing white Capsule Corp. spacesuits. "It's so beautiful."

"Okay, ChiChi," laughed Bulma. "I know that space is beautiful, but right now we have work to do." Bulma started pushing buttons on the control panel and the ship started to turn away from the moon. ChiChi pouted when the moon disappeared from view and plopped back into her chair. Bulma could not help but to giggle. "Don't worry. After we are done, we'll come back out here and spend some time just looking at the stars. Okay?"

"Alright." ChiChi looked down at the control panel. "So, have you found the thing you're looking for yet?" Bulma nodded her head.

"Yes. As a matter of fact, it's right over there." Bulma turned the ship around a little more until it had its back to the moon before accelerating. At first there was nothing new visible. Soon, though, a small white object came into view. Bulma maneuvered the ship closer and ChiChi just stared at it.

"What is it?"

"That is the reason that we are up here." As they moved closer, Chichi could now see that they were approaching a satellite. The ship was positioned right next to the bottom of the satellite and the engines powered down. Bulma unlocked herself from her seat and turned to the door behind it. She opened it and entered the room. ChiChi decided to follow so she unhooked herself from her seat. When she made it out of her seat, she found Bulma putting on another spacesuit over the first, this one thicker than her original and had the addition of a transparent helmet. The room itself was very small, only about 5 feet all around. At the end that Bulma was getting dressed in there was a large door. In the middle of the room a ladder hung about 3 feet off of the floor. ChiChi stepped into the room.

"So why are we up here looking for a satellite?"

"Do you remember was we were told by Rae about the Buu-droids? They were androids fused with Buu's genes. The genes that were used in the Buu-droids came from a laboratory in space." Bulma pointed out the window to the satellite. "I used the computers at Capsule Corp. to find this place. After examining it I found a computer on board that is almost definitely capable of holding the kind of information needed to build another Buu-droid."

"So you're going to go inside of that?" ChiChi pointed out a window to the satellite. Bulma nodded and put on a thick pair of gloves over her other pair. "What am I supposed to do while you're gone?"

"All you have to do is to monitor me on the controls." Bulma gestured to the hatch above them. "Go up there and close it tight. When I get outside you can cover me. If something goes wrong you might have to destroy the satellite." Bulma's nonchalant tone made ChiChi uneasy.

"Blow it up?" ChiChi seemed surprised and worried at the same time. "But what if you're still in it? How are you going to get out?" Bulma walked over to her friend and placed her hand on ChiChi's shoulder.

"Don't worry so much. This satellite has not been active since Boo was resealed in the Dead Zone over ten years ago. The chances of it just all of a sudden activating itself and coming to life are too small to count." Feeling a little calmer about the situation, ChiChi made her way up the ladder and went into the new room. To her delight, the control panel consisted of only a few buttons. She closed the hatch and sat down in the only chair in the room. As she did a microphone raised up out of the panel. ChiChi waited a few moments for something to happen, but nothing did. Just as she was about to give up, she heard the static coming from the speakers in the walls.

"Bulma, are you there?"

"Yeah. I'm here. Press the third yellow button from the left and a screen should come up. You'll be able to see through my helmet camera." ChiChi pressed the button and the screen raised up out of the back of the panel. It showed the static for a brief second before switching to the helmet cam. The picture showed space, endless space. ChiChi was a little surprised.

"Are you already outside, Bulma?" The screen went up and down, signifying Bulma nodding."

"I'm right outside the air lock."

"Where is that?"

"The room you just came from. There are only three rooms on the ship. There is the main room where we steer the ship. The second is the air lock. It connects the main room and the weapons room. You are in the weapons room right now. It has a second set of controls and… the weapons."

"Alright. I understand." Bulma turned her head so that the helmet cam was now showing a small asteroid. "Listen ChiChi. Can you see that asteroid? If you can touch the screen where it is and it will show up as a red dot." Bulma waited as ChiChi reached over to the screen and tapped it where the asteroid was. The red dot blipped on both ChiChi's screen and Bulma's helmet. "Okay. Now I'm going to show you how to use the weapons. It's very simple. Directly in front of you should be a small, white handle. Pull it up."

"I see it. I'm pulling it up now." ChiChi pulled on the handle, which turned out to be very heavy. It slowly came up and out of the panel. After moving an inch, the sides of it started to hiss and shoot out steam. This started ChiChi and made her fall backward, almost off her seat. The handle then came out all the way, revealing the weapon controls beneath it. ChiChi was in awe. There were two handles with triggers for the hands, along with four red buttons on the left side. They were straight in a row downward. ChiChi placed her hands in the handles and moved, turning them slightly to the right. The entire room moved and the ceiling started to open, leaving another layer of transparent material between her and space. Now ChiChi could see the guns themselves, which were twice as long and twice as thick as her body. Bulma watched the whole scene from the side of the ship.

"Okay, now press the trigger once to activate it. After that you'll see two green crosshairs on the wall. It is actually another screen. Aim the crosshairs at the asteroid and wait for them to change red." ChiChi moved the gun chamber around until she had sight of the target. She pointed the guns at it and they locked on quickly.

"Okay, Bulma. I'm locked on. Now what do I do?"

"At the bottom of the gun controls there should be four red buttons. They signify your weapons. The top one is the gattling gun. It is the weakest, but it uses very little energy so it has the fastest fire rate. The second is the pulse cannon. It fires slower, but it is decisively more powerful. The third buttons activates the pulse rockets. They use shock waves to be more effective in the conditions of outer space. I don't expect to anything up here that will give us too much trouble. However, if we do find something that does there is always the fourth button. ChiChi looked at the forth button and examined it, looking for some difference. She couldn't find any.

"What's so special about the fourth button?" Her tone was very inquisitive.

"It's…ChiChi, it's a self-detonation switch." All was silent for the next minute. Although she couldn't see her friend, Bulma knew that ChiChi was in shock. She could feel it. "Don't worry, ChiChi. It has a fifteen-second timer and your room is also the escape pod. When the timer is set, the pod is jettisoned off of the ship and out of harm's way. You have nothing to worry about." ChiChi giggled, which surprised Bulma.

"I know there's nothing to worry about. You wouldn't have me here unless it was safe, now would you?" A smile appeared on Bulma's face.

"You're right. Okay, now it's time to take out the asteroid. Fire the Pulse rockets." ChiChi pressed the third button and there were a couple of mechanical noises. She pressed the trigger and two small rockets launched from beneath the guns. The collided with the asteroid and exploded. The massive rock vibrated violently before blowing into a million pieces.

**********

Beep. Beep. Beep. A small light started to beep on the main computer in an empty laboratory. At the other end of the enormous room a door opened and a man walked into the relative darkness. He continued across the floor and over to the enormous super computer. He stopped at the base. It was about 40 feet high and 10 feet across. The controls were closely compacted near the center.

"Computer on," said the man. All of the buttons on the computer started to flash. The lights in the room flashed on and off. A red light aimed itself at the man's head.

"State user name," the computer demanded.

"User name: Doctor Boo." The computer took a second t analyze the voice. A few seconds later the lights turned on completely and the red light shut off.

"Voice recognized as Dr. Boo. Security clearance granted." The computer powered up to a blank screen.

'Aspa, what was the cause of the alarm?" The computer screen lit up and started displaying lines of information.

"Satellite Neo orbiting the earth had its proximity circuits breached." Dr. Boo looked slightly shocked.

"Do we know who it is?" The computer ran through some more lines of data.

"Scanners indicate a two body vessel. Two life forms have been confirmed. The ship is a product of Capsule Corporation." Aspa went down a few more lines of data. "The life forms have been identified." The names flashed over the screen and Dr. Boo was in total shock. "Life forms identified as ChiChi and Bulma." Dr. Boo's mouth hung open for a few moments before curling up in anger. He slammed a fist down onto the control panel.

"How could she possibly find my satellite? I had so many security measures. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. I need more time to finish my plan." Dr. Boo turned around and started pacing back and forth. He had to come up with something quick or his plan was going to be over before it started. "She has already ruined my plan to give birth to the ultimate fusion warrior, Buuku. Now she threatens me again." Dr. Boo took a deep breath. "There is no other choice. Bulma Briefs must die."

**********

Bulma sat in front of yet another monitor inside of the satellite. There were only two rooms. She looked at the controls, which would have confused a normal person, and easily navigated them. The data that she had received about the satellite was true; it was definitely the space station that she had been looking for the past 10 years. Bulma's fingers typed away at unbelievable speeds, trying to find some way to break through the massive amount of security codes that they were facing. It was only a matter of time before she would get through; Bulma had total confidence in her skills.

"Bulma, are you done yet?" asked a very bored ChiChi. She was trying to watch Bulma's fingers, but they were going excessively fast for the naked eye. She did succeed in falling into a trance. A wave of sleepiness came over her all of a sudden.

"I'm sorry, ChiChi, but this computer has a lot of security on it. I don't thing I've ever seen this much. It takes a while to get by all of it. Just hang in there. I'm positive that I've gotten through just about all of it." Right on cue, the screen went black and then the main menu came up. "See? All done." ChiChi shook her head and focused on the screen. When she saw the main menu she felt a sense of happiness, but was unable to muster the energy to move. ChiChi put her arms on the control panel and rested her head on them. She kept one eye open so that she could monitor the screen, but she was actually on the verge of falling asleep. Bulma clicked a couple of options on the menus and came to a document titled, "The Buuku Project." Upon seeing that ChiChi sprang awake."

"Buuku? Is that what I think it is?"

"It is. This explains everything about Buuku." Bulma pressed the download button. "I'm sending it to the computer onboard the ship and to a disk I brought with me right now. It should start to scroll down your screen any second now." ChiChi waited until it finally started to come up on her screen. She started to read the document, most of which she already knew. Then she saw something strange.

"Bulma, who is Doctor Boo?" Bulma stopped her typing for a moment to think about it.

"I don't know. Why do you ask? Is the name mentioned in the document?" ChiChi nodded her head, forgetting that Bulma couldn't see her.

"It says that Dr. Boo was the man responsible for everything. He created Hunter and the Madam. His computers made the robots at the party. He directly oversaw the fusing of Buu and Goku's genes."

"Directly? That means that he must have been at the mansion. He must have been watching us the whole time." Bulma snapped out of her daze and started into the next file. She clicked on it and the title came up. "Android B? What is Android B?" Bulma's question was never answered because the entire satellite started to move.

"What was that, Bulma?"

"I don't know, but I thing I had better get out of here!" Bulma quickly made her way out of the room (it was very small). She came to a very short hallway that opened to a wide area at the end. In that open area Bulma hit a switch on the wall. The air was sucked out of the room and the floor opened. Bulma dropped through slowly until she was clear of the satellite. She clicked her feet together and activated jets on her feet. They propelled her back toward the Capsule Corp ship. "ChiChi, you have to open the air lock. Just hit the purple button on the right side of the controls." ChiChi's eyes searched around until she found it.

"Okay, I see it." She pushed the button, triggering the air lock. Bulma floated in and clicked her boots off. She closed the air lock herself and pressurized the room. Moving as quickly as she could, Bulma took off the extra suit and made her way back to the main control room. She jumped into the chair and started pressing buttons at an alarming speed. The screen in front of her came up and showed the satellite…or what was formally the satellite.

"Oh no."

"What is that?" asked ChiChi, frantically pressing the screen. Seven red dots showed up on Bulma's screen, all pointing to the same thing. "What is that?" she asked again.

"That is what I would call unexpected trouble."

**********

The Dead Zone. It is the world of nothingness in which the most evil beings of the universe are imprisoned. Life in the Dead Zone is not easy. Some do not have to worry about it because they do not survive long. The conditions can be harsh at times. Although it is devoid of any original life, it is frequented by things that can only be referred to as "power storms". If the hard, quiet, and lonely life of the Zone does not manage to kill someone, the power storms do. Only the strong survive in the Dead Zone, or the immortal.

Boo is one of the strong. He, like most others who can survive long enough, had his chance to escape the Zone. Like most others he failed to stay outside due to hero intervention. Boo would never forget Gogeta and how weak the fusion made him look. Boo thought about him all the time, trying to figure out what ways to torture his nemesis when he finally escaped the zone again. Of course, he would have to get out first and that did not seem to be likely. His brother had been send back to Hell. He would be no help. Both of the Buu-droids, Hunter and Madam, were in Hell as well. They would be on help. Unless Boo could find a way to get out from the inside, he wasn't getting out at all. For ten years he thought about ways to get out and each one failed. Boo had given up for the time being. For the next year he decided that he would simply sit down Indian-style, rest his head on his hand, his elbow on his knee, and tap his leg with his finger. Maybe after doing that for a year he could come up with a plan of sorts. Boo knew it was unlikely.

"Are you Boo?" asked a voice from behind. Boo had been in his tapping position for one month straight. The sudden noise slightly startled him, but he ignored it anyway. A shape came around in front of him. It hid in the shadow of a floated rock to conceal itself. Boo tried to continue with his master plan, but it was becoming very hard to concentrate with the man staring at him so blatantly. Boo looked up without moving his head.

"What do you want?" The shape came forward and it was massive. It was blue and extremely muscular. It was shirtless and had heavily tattered pants.

"I want to talk to Boo. I have a proposition for him. Are you Boo?" Boo seemed slightly upset at not being recognized. He quickly lifted a hand and fired a chi blast at the shape. It was dodged and the blast continued on. In the distance it hit a floating boulder and vaporized it in a huge explosion. The figure smiled evilly. "Hello, Boo. Let me introduce myself. I am the legendary Garlic Jr." Boo stared at Garlic for a moment.

"Who?" The evil smile disappeared from the face of Garlic and it was replaced by anger.

"I am the most powerful being in the Dead Zone! You show me some respect if you wish to continue living." Boo gave Garlic a slightly annoyed look before turning his attention back to his tapping. "Besides, I can get you out of here." Boo's ears raised in curiosity when he heard that. Boo lifted his head off his hand.

"How?"

"So now we're talking?" Boo stood up and crossed his arms over his chest.

"If you value your life, speak now." Garlic smiled again.

"If you want to get out of the Zone, you'll work for me. I have the power to open the Zone at my own will. I can release us both."

"I am unimpressed," Boo said bluntly.

"What are you talking about? Do you wish to stay trapped in the Zone for your entire life?" Boo levitated off the rock he was on and floated over to Garlic. He stopped right in front of the big, green monster. They were face to face.

"I don't believe you." Boo flew up at an angle and put distance between the two of them. Garlic had a confident look on his face.

"You don't believe me because I am still here. Well, let me show you exactly what I can do." Garlic Jr. placed a finger in the air and closed his eyes. Boo watched in amazement as the very essence of the Zone started to ripple. It was over quickly, though, and Garlic Jr. fell slightly limp seconds after starting. He was breathing hard. Boo's look became one of annoyance again.

"Pathetic." Garlic lifted hi head.

"That is why I have come here. Together we can open the Dead Zone portal from the inside. With both of our powers combined we can escape and I can finally have my revenge on that brat Gohan!" Boo ignored the last part about Gohan. He did not know or care who Gohan was; it was inconsequential. All Boo could think of was one person; Gogeta. He played the scene repeatedly in his head. Below him the fusion warrior laid a defeated man. Boo held out a hand and it started to morph into liquid. The pink sludge slowly pours into Gogeta's mouth, the fusion unable to defend. With deadly accuracy, Boo shuts down every one of his foe's life functions. He does not kill him there, though. He makes sure that he feeds his enemy enough energy to stay alive. Boo waits patiently for the look. The proud fusion refuses to give him the pleasure. Boo starts snapping all of the bones in Gogeta's body. He tries to scream, but his lungs have been destroyed. It is then that Boo gets what he wants; the look. The look when the fusion realizes that his life is over. The absolute fear and horror that he would never show otherwise. It is that which has driven Boo on to this point. Now that he has achieved it, there is no longer any need to keep the body alive. Boo quickly reforms his arm, pulling all energy from the limp corpse on the ground. Boo smiles. He as received his revenge.

"What do I have to do?"

"Good. I can see that we are on the same page. All you have to do is donate a small amount of your energy to me so that I can open the portal." Garlic extended a hand out to Boo. "It's that simple." Boo took the hand, but he had a very sadistic look on his face.

"I have a better idea." Before Garlic could react, Boo grabbed his hand and started to charge his energy in his own body.

"What are you doing?" Boo answered Garlic's question by shooting all of the energy he had gathered directly into the hand of Garlic. "AHHHHHHHHH!!!"

"You go boom."

**********

"This is ridiculous!" yelled Bulma as they were hit with two more blasts. The main control went dark for a second before reactivating. "We can't keep getting hit like this or we won't make it back. ChiChi, I'm on my way up."

"Okay." ChiChi fired the pulse cannon at the enemy. The satellite had transformed itself into a mobile suit. It was using the dish as a rocket and it was trying to destroy the ship. Luckily, the outer coating of the Capsule Corp. ship was tough, but it had already taken a beating from the rapid attacks of the mobile suit. It would not be long until there was a puncture and a loss of air pressure. ChiChi switched to pulse rockets just as Bulma came through the hatch.

"I'm here." Bulma pressed a button on the control panel and ChiChi's seat moved over slightly. An extra one came out of the ground and Bulma jumped onto it.

"What are you going to do?" asked ChiChi.

"There is a second set of controls here. They are a lot more complicated so I have to use them. I figure that if we shower him with ammo that we might be able to do some real damage." The ship was hit again and Bulma fell off her seat.

"You okay?" asked ChiChi, never taking her eyes off her target.

"Yeah." Bulma stood up and sat back down. Then she let her fingers go to work. In a matter of seconds, there was a second set of guns in place on the outside of the ship. The mobile suit was still able to dodge most of the shots, but now it was being hit more often. ChiChi started to cheer when she heard a beep. She looked down at the control panel and then on her weapon controls. What she saw was unsettling.

"Does that mean…?" Bulma frowned.

"We're out of ammo." Bulma hit a few buttons and the weapon controls went back into the panel. Bulma kept typing a way and the ship started to speed up. "We're going to have to outrun it. If we make it to the earth's atmosphere we'll be okay."

"What does that have to do with anything. You don't think it will follow us down to earth?"

"Actually I expect it to follow us." ChiChi gave Bulma a worried look, wondering it the fall earlier had more of an effect than her friend was letting on. Bulma saw it through the corner of her eye. "Don't worry. I have a plan. When we get back to earth we'll destroy it, but first we have to get there. I suggest that you hold on tight. We're going to get hit a lot." Bulma entered a command as ChiChi flashed her yet another worried look. Suddenly the ship propulsion started to kick in and they were going 4 times their original speed. Both women held desperately onto anything they could as the mobile suit easily hammered them with multiple blasts. The straight line of flight made them an easy target, but they were now moments away from their destination. Bulma slowed the ship down and WHAM! The ship hit the ionosphere hard.

"We made it." ChiChi held on even tighter, though, because the ride was rockier than ever. "How are we going to get rid of the mobile suit?"

"After we break through the ionosphere we are going to blow the ship. That should give us plenty of time to set up for our next attack."

"How long…?" In the middle of her question the ship came out of the ionosphere and stopped shaking. Bulma quickly went to the controls and stopped the ship's engine.

"Hit the fourth, red button now!" ChiChi smashed the button with her fist. Realizing what she did, ChiChi blushed.

"Oops." An alarm sounded in the room. The screen was flashing red. In between each flash it showed the timer. It was down to 14.

"Here we go." There was a loud metallic sound. The escape pod was freed from the rest of the ship and began to fall down to the ground at high speeds. ChiChi was a little more than worried.

"We're going to crash!"

"No. We just have to play dead for a few seconds longer. You'll see." Just then, the mobile suit came out of the ionosphere. It saw the ship standing motionless. Its sensors also picked up a falling mass down below. Ignoring the inactive mass it approached the ship. As soon as it was within 3 feet of the side the mobile suit was caught in the enormous explosion the darkened the sky for 50 yards. Bulma smiled and turned the engines to the escape pod on. The pod aligned itself with the ground and was soon floating normally.

"So it's dead, right?" To ChiChi's amazement, Bulma shook her head.

"No. As I said, we just slowed it down. Now we can destroy it. Bulma stood up from her seat and opened the hatch. She dropped through and ChiChi followed her. Bulma went back over to the air lock and opened it. ChiChi was confused.

"What are you going to do?" Bulma smiled at her friend.

"Don't you mean what are we going to do?" ChiChi was more confused than ever. "I know it's been a long time since we've had real combat, but don't tell me you've forgotten about the Saiyan Guards." Suddenly everything was making sense to ChiChi.

"That's right! We can use them. That's why you didn't use them in space; we wouldn't have been able to breathe."

"Right. The suits would have made us too slow and clumsy to be effective. We can only use them here." ChiChi started to look around the cabin. 

"So where are they?"

"Where they are the easiest to get to; your Guards are right inside the sleeve of your suit. Just press the wrist down and they'll activate. Watch." Bulma pressed the wrists of her suit. Almost instantaneously her hair went black and into a long ponytail. She gathered her ki for a moment before letting it explode forth, shredding her space suit. She was now wearing her pink, tiger stripped fighting gear. ChiChi followed the lead and a few seconds later was in her black, tiger stripped fighting gear, and her hair in a long ponytail. The two fighters gave each other confident glances just as the smoke cleared above and the mobile suit made its way over to its new target.

"You ready?"

"Ummhmmm. What about you? Are you ready?" ChiChi's eyes narrowed slightly. There was a very serious look on her face.

"I've been ready." ChiChi was up and gone after the mobile suit before Bulma could react.

"Guess she was ready."

**********

Garlic Jr. laughed hysterically as the smoke rose from his body. Boo, who had moved back a few feet, was now getting very pissed off. Garlic finally calmed himself down enough to look at his adversary.

"You fool! I am immortal. I cannot die. If you will not give me the energy I need I will take it from you!" Garlic started to raise his aura. Swirls of energy were gathering around him. Unable to contain himself, Garlic Jr. started laughing hysterically again. Boo, on the other hand, began to calm down. In fact, Boo turned around and started to float away, muttering things under his breath.

"You can't leave now, Boo. I own you!" The now delusional Garlic Jr. flew off after the pink demon. He circled around in front of Boo before grabbing him around the neck and choking the life out of him. Boo was motionless in massive arms of Garlic. "Were you saying something just now that you would like to share with the rest of us?" The evil grin never left Garlic's face as he intensified his grip. He was surprised, though, when Boo effortlessly broke his hold and stood toe to toe with him. A sinister grin came over the face of Boo.

"I said that I had no intention of killing you." Boo almost instantaneously attacked after that, shoving his fist deep into the gut of Garlic Jr. The blue demon was curled over, completely unable to make a sound. Boo calmly moved his fist out of his enemy's stomach, floated over to the exposed back and rammed his elbow into it. Garlic snapped straight up, still unable to say anything but obviously in a lot of pain. The look on Boo's face was now one of disdain. "You are not a worthy opponent, not like the fusion. I must face him again, and next time I will be more powerful than anything he has seen before." Boo hovered softly for a moment, anticipating his rematch with Gogeta. It truly was the driving force in his life now. He slowly moved away from the prone Garlic Jr. and landed on a rock. Boo stood still, unflinching, with his back to his enemy. Behind him, Garlic Jr. was finally able to gasp for his first breath.

"You…idiot…I…will…kill…you…" Garlic gathered some energy in his hand and blatantly charged Boo. Still the pink fighter did not turn around. Garlic reared back and swung a vicious punch into Boo's back…that went right into Boo's back. Garlic tried with all of his might but he was not able to pull his hand out. In fact, that more he struggled the more it went in.

"Whomever told you about me forgot to tell you one thing that might have saved you; I can absorb people." Boo could feel the horror flowing through Garlic's veins. "I don't care that you are an immortal. You have two things that I can use. Your ki energy, while small, will bring me closer to my goal. Your ability to manipulate the Dead Zone, however, is what I want. It will allow me to escape this forsaken place and take my revenge on the fusion." Garlic Jr.'s upper torso was now completely absorbed into Boo's body with no way to get out. "But before I go to earth I must build my strength for battle. I will not allow that fusion to defeat me again!" The blue demon being sucked into Boo's body gave one last try to escape, but it was futile. He was pulled all the way in and Boo felt his energy serge through his body. It wasn't much, but for what he had planned next, he didn't need a lot. "Now that I have the power, it is time to leave this place once and for all. I vow never to come back." Boo pointed a finger forward and the essence on the Zone started to crack. The smile of triumph melted onto Boo's face when a clear portal formed in front of him. "It is now the beginning of the end for you, fusion." He stepped through the portal and disappeared.

**********

The mobile suit had its hands full now. It had already destroyed the ship and the escape pod, but the two life forms that it was now hunting weren't as simple. The mobile suit fired three more rounds at the woman in black, but they didn't come anywhere close to connecting. The next target was the one in pink, but it sliced off the gun of the mobile suit before it could even load the ammo. Now it was defenseless. The one in pink chopped off the right leg and arm, almost simultaneously. The one in black sliced off the left leg and arm with her foot. The sparks were flying now and the mobile suit could only stay afloat. The last image it sent was the two life forms coming in for a duel attack, fists forward. The screen went blank after that and the signal was lost. Dr. Boo was very upset.

"I am surrounded by incompetence! That suit was supposed to be mobile!" He stormed off to the left side of the laboratory where there were three oversized test tubes. Inside of them could be seen the shapes of bodies. Dr. Boo sighed. "I didn't want to have to send you out so soon, but I have to start now or else that damn Bulma Briefs will ruin my plans again. Aspa!"

"Yes, Doctor?" answered the computer.

"Activate Androids A and C."

"What about Android B, Doctor?" The computer hesitated a little during its question. Dr. Boo looked back across the laboratory disapprovingly.

"You will do as I say. Activate Androids A and C. Leave B in stasis."

"Yes sir." The voice sounded dejected. Dr. Boo walked back across the laboratory and up to the main computer.

"Listen to me. You owe me. You do as I say or I pull the plug on the both of you. You got it?" The computer was silent for a moment. "I didn't hear you, or should I just pull the plug now?"

"I will obey, Doctor." Now the computer's voice sounded defeated. Dr. Boo smiled.

"I am glad to hear it. Android B is too valuable for me to lose because of you incompetence. I hope you understand that."

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now send Androids A and C out into Satan City."

"What is their mission?" Dr. Boo thought for a second.

"Bulma Briefs has already started to interfere before I was ready. Maybe we should just skip ahead in the plan…bring me the body of Son Gohan, preferably alive."

"Yes, Doctor Boo." The computer hummed with life for a moment. The test tubes containing the first and third androids disappeared into the roof. Dr. Boo was very happy.

"Aspa?"

"Yes, sir?"

"You've done a good job. I am proud of you." Dr. Boo walked away and exited the laboratory, turning the lights off.

"Thank you," whispered the computer. The only lights in the room on now were the computer and the light inside of the test tube. "Sleep tight, my little B-chan. Your time will come."


	2. Gohan's Demon Within

Part 2: gohan's Demon within

It was a hot day. The temperature at the time was over 90 degrees and constantly rising. The weather was almost totally unbearable. In fact, unless you were inside under the air conditioning, the only other place you would want to be was inside a nice, cool…

"Pool!" Rae burst forth from the nearby changing room in a one piece, red bathing suit. Her short, blonde hair snapping violently as she ran at superhuman speed. Rae hopped and planted her feet right at the edge of the pool. Bending down deep, Rae launched herself into the air, spreading her arms out like a bird. Trunks came out of the changing room at that moment. He was topless with purple swimming trunks. He looked up into the sky and saw a low flying bird hit the water and wondered if it was going to come up. When Rae popped out of the water he was more than a little bit surprised.

"Hey, Rae. Did you see a low flying, rough looking bird just dive into the water a few seconds ago?" Rae gave him an ice-cold look. It didn't take long for Trunks to realize that he had made a huge mistake. "Um, I mean…" Rae jumped up, grabbed Trunks' arm and tossed him into the water. Trunks came back up to the surface a few seconds later.

"You're lucky I'm not a violent person like Hunter."

"Sorry. I thought…well…" Trunks tried to think of something to say quick before Rae decided to attack again. "Um…where is Goten? I left him over 15 minutes ago."" Rae looked around inquisitively. Trunks knew that he was off the hook.

"I don't know where he is. He should already be out here by now. What could he possibly be doing?" She searched the area for some sign of him, but could find none. "I guess he'll show up sometime." Rae grabbed Trunks' head and pushed him down under the water, holding him there. "I guess I'll have to play with you until he shows up."

**********

Goten was lost…again. Trunks had led him into a room earlier in the day so that he could find something to wear. All of Goten's clothes were at home. Trunks left his friend alone and when Goten finally picked something out to wear he realized that he couldn't find his way out of the house.

"I've been in this house for the last 15 minutes and I still can't find my way out. After 17 years I still get lost." Goten turned down another hall and became very excited. He had managed to find the main hallway that led to the front door. He knew exactly where he was now. Goten ran full speed down the narrow way. At the end of the hall was the door leading to the front of the house and two rooms off to the sides. Goten reached the end and started to go left when the door opened and smacked right into his face. He fell to the floor holding his now red forehead. Through his blurry eyes he could make out two shapes.

"Goten! What are you doing on the floor?" The demi-Saiyan's eyesight cleared and he saw his mother and Bulma standing over him in the doorway.

"You okay, Goten?" asked Bulma. Goten stood up and scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously. He was obviously embarrassed.

"Um…I'm okay. Just going to the pool. Bye!" Goten took off to the left and disappeared from sight. ChiChi raised an eyebrow.

"What was that about?" she asked her friend. Bulma shrugged her shoulders.

**********

"How did I get up here?" Goten asked himself. "I thought I knew where I was going." Goten had gotten himself lost…yet again. This time he had somehow managed to find his way to the roof of the Capsule Corp. building. Goten was standing on the edge that overlooked the backyard and the pool. Down below he saw Rae, who also saw him. The baffled look on her face said it all.

"Goten…what are you doing up there? Did you get lost again?" Goten sorrowfully nodded his head. He felt like an idiot. Rae couldn't help but to giggle.

"Well, get down here!"

"How?"

"How else? Jump!" Goten glanced over the edge of the roof. He had a sudden urge to smack himself on the head for not thinking about jumping in the first place. Goten envisioned his perfect dive, floating through the air with the grace of an eagle. He cupped his hands over his mouth.

"All right! I'm coming down! Watch out!" Rae moved back a little and gave Goten extra room. The demi-Saiyan closed his eyes and bent down. He sprang upward into the air, but his foot slipped as he did. Goten was no longer a graceful eagle; he was now a falling rock. His body shot down to the ground like a bullet and he smashed into the wet floor, inches away from the water that would have broken his fall. Rae was extremely worried.

"Goten!" She quickly swam over to the fallen man. Doing this she finally let go of Trunks' head, which she had held beneath the water inadvertently. The other demi-Saiyan burst out of the water, gasping desperately for every bit of air he could fit into his lungs. Rae turned around and finally realized what she had done. She made her way back over to Trunks. "Oh Trunks. I am so sorry." Trunks tried to talk back but he was too busy swallowing gallons of air. When he finally managed to fill his lungs and breath normally, Trunks made his way over to the side of the pool to rest. Rae followed him, feeling very guilty about what she had done. At that time Bulma and ChiChi came outside and made their way over to Rae and Trunks, but ChiChi spotted Goten's near lifeless body lying on the floor. 

"Goten?" The boy's body twitched, showing that while he was alive he was not in the best shape. ChiChi knelt down next to him and wrapped her arms around her son. Her spirit lifted when Goten's eyes opened.

"HIYA!" He yelled, not quite coherent yet. Bulma put a hand on ChiChi's shoulder.

"He'll be okay. He just hit his head somehow." Bulma walked over to Trunks and Rae. Trunks smiled sheepishly at his mother. 

"Hi, mom."

"Hi, Trunks. I see you two are having fun in the pool. What happened to Goten?"

"Well…?" Rae started, "he ended up on the roof somehow and he tried to jump off, but he slipped and he crashed to the ground." Bulma winced at the thought of Goten's crash. 

"What are you doing back so soon?" asked Trunks. "Weren't you supposed to be in space the entire day?"

"Yes, but we had a slight problem. I need to talk to all of you. Where is your father."

"Where else?" He pointed to the direction of Vegeta's favorite hangout. "He's in the gravity room." Bulma sighed. 

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Sometimes I wonder if that's all he thinks about."

**********

"Damn it! Aren't you ready yet, Kakarotto?" Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest in annoyance. Goku finished putting on his new white gi.

"Okay. I'm ready." He clenched his fist. Vegeta moved into his ready position.

"Today will be the day, Kakarotto. I will defeat you."

"We'll see." Goku was beaming with anticipation. "I can't wait to test out the new gravity room. Bulma said it can withstand Super Saiyan 3." Vegeta's aura flared briefly before he went to SSJ level 1. Goku grinned and did the same. They quickly followed with level 2. Vegeta clenched his fist.

"All right, Kakarotto. Enough talk." Vegeta fired up his ki and exploded to Super Saiyan level 3

"I agree." Goku powered up to level 3. Without hesitation, he attacked by firing a quick ki ball. Vegeta saw it coming and ducked under it, rushing Goku at the same time. He jumped into the air and gave Goku a roundhouse kick to the head. It was blocked easily and Goku grabbed the offending foot. He started spinning, but he didn't get around one full time before Vegeta bent forward and wrested his foot loose. Still holding on to Goku, Vegeta flipped and twisted over his foe so that he was staring at his back. The Saiyan prince locked his arms around Goku's chin and squeezed.

"Goku reached back and snatched Vegeta's shirt. Bending forward he used his leverage to toss Vegeta across the room into the wall. The prince's body hit with a thud and fell a few feet before he regained control. Vegeta turned around and rolled to the side, barely avoiding Goku's kicked that the wall and flipped over the double axehandle attempted and flew back to the middle of the room. Vegeta remained with his back to his opponent.

"You're quick, Kakarotto, but now that this room can stand up to our training, I won't be holding back." Goku beckoned Vegeta to continue the fight.

"I don't want to hold you back." Vegeta floated to the wall and kicked off of it. The speed was too much for Goku to handle and he was hit with a right hand. Vegeta put on the brakes and turns around, kicking at Goku's back. Once again the Saiyan caught the foot and spun Vegeta around. Goku threw Vegeta this time, but Vegeta shifted his body to that his feet went first. He grabbed Goku's hand and pulled himself in, throwing a violent kick to the stomach. As soon as Goku doubled over Vegeta followed up with a double axehandle to the back. Goku crashed to the ground and jumped back to avoid Vegeta's follow up fist. Goku rolled to his feet as Vegeta stayed motionless where he was, fist embedded in the ground. The door to the gravity room opened and in came Bulma, ChiChi, Rae, Trunks, and a now conscious Goten. Both fighters powered down from SSJ3. Goku walked over to the crowd; Vegeta stayed where he was.

"What are you guys doing in here?" Goku asked. Vegeta finally decided to walk over to the group. 

"Why did you interrupt our training?" Bulma stepped forward. 

"Something happened today that you should know about." Vegeta grunted. From the look on his mate's face he could tell that whatever she had to say was going to take a while. 

**********

Boo exited the portal and smiled. He finally escaped his prison and now was the first step to his ultimate revenge against the fusion. Boo looked around at the gloomy terrain and smiled. This is where he would start his mission- in the depths of Hell. Boo closed his eyes and started to concentrate. He searched for one specific ki. Boo's sixth sense scanned the area. Finally he found it and without another thought he blasted off.

*********

Frieza looked around the wasteland that was Hell. The fact was that he couldn't stand it. He had been the former prince of the universe. Frieza had everything going for him. All that he has was taken away from him in an instant. What made it worse was that it was nothing but a monkey that defeated him. Frieza learned a very valuable lesson that day; do not kill the baldheaded guy.

"I can't stand this place! It smells, it's boring, and that damn Ginyu Force is here! How could it get…?" Frieza turned around and saw a tall, pink person standing behind him. He turned his nose up at the intruder. "Who are you?" Before Boo could answer a look of shock crossed Frieza's face. "You look like that pink demon that was send here. He killed off almost half the population!"

"I see you've met my brother, the uncivilized fool. If you do as I say you won't suffer the same fate as so many others." That upset Frieza.

"Do you know who I am? I am the former ruler of the universe. I have destroyed thousands of civilizations and millions of people's lives. You can't order me around!" Boo stepped up to the smaller changling, looking down upon him in more ways than one.

"The question is," said Boo in a menacing voice, "do you know who I am? I have destroyed millions of civilizations and billions of lives. You don't understand what kind of power you are in the presence of." Frieza cowered down slightly. The truth was that he had witnessed the little brother's power first hand. It was awesome. Frieza knew what he was dealing with. However, he had to stand tall. His ego and pride would not allow him to turn away.

"You made a mistake in coming here. It's too late to leave, though. Now you have to face…THE GINYU FORCE!" In the distance, four guys ran toward the two super powers, tripping the whole way. Frieza slapped a hand over his face in embarrassment and Boo started at them (as hard as that was to do) in disgust. The four fighters stopped about 50 yards away.

"Stop right there!" yelled the orange one with the white hair. It was very clear that he was scared out of his mind, as were the others.

"Jeice, Burta, Recoome, Guldo, get over here!" Frieza had become very pissed off. Very reluctantly the Ginyu Force complied and they began to inch their way over.

**********

After about two minutes of inching their way over, the Ginyu Force had made it half the distance. Boo began to tire of waiting and decided to go get them instead. The Ginyu Force froze in its tracks when Boo started approaching them. Recoome mustered up enough courage to step in front of the group. He placed a finger in the air.

"Stop, you! It is time to feel the might of the Ginyu Force!" He moved his arm in a circle and turned around, his back now to Boo. Recoome bent over so that his head was visible between his legs. Frieza could feel himself shrinking with embarrassment even more.

"He isn't going to, please tell me he isn't going to," he whispered to himself. At that moment the former self-proclaimed ruler of the universe wanted to anywhere but where he was. Recoome peeked through his legs.

"I am the invici…" His speech was cut short when Boo shot him right on his…rear end and sent him rolling. Another follow up shot exploded in front of the mammoth, stopping his roll. All of the other Ginyu Force members took one look at the burn mark on their comrade and made a very wise decision; they ran as fast as their legs would carry them. Unlike before when they were approaching Boo, they were able to make it out of sight in 5 seconds flat. Even Recoome managed to disappear in 7. Frieza actually breathed a small sigh of relief when they left, feeling better about not being humiliated anymore than he already had been. Boo turned his attention back to the changeling.

"Now listen. I have come here to obtain from you two things. First, I want your ki energy. You might not be as strong as the fusion or either of its parts, but I will pool your power with the others to crush him. Secondly and most importantly, I want your battle knowledge. I know for a fact that you not only had an extensive battle with Goku, but that you also were instrumental in the training and death of Vegeta. That information will be very useful to me." Frieza looked dumbfounded.

"You want me to give you my energy?" Frieza turned around and placed his hand on his chin like he was gong to think about it, but the second he had his back to Boo he created a huge energy ball and swung around to throw it. To his horror Boo grabbed his hand and forced him to drop the energy. Frieza fought and managed to rip his hand away from Boo, but he realized that the pink demon allowed him to do so and that he was totally outmatched. There was no way Frieza was getting out of this confrontation in one piece. Boo smirked evilly.

"Now you understand that you have no chance to defeat me. Give up and this will be painless." Frieza gritted his teeth. He charged up his ki and his body started to grow. He became more muscular and his power increased. Boo looked on with indifference. Frieza finished his power up and stood chest to stomach with Boo.

"I am at one hundred percent of my power limit. Let's see how tough you are now." Boo simply grabbed Frieza by the head and gave him a ferocious headbutt. The changeling froze on the spot, unconscious but unable to fall to the ground. Boo tore off his arm and tossed it over to Frieza. It liquefied and engulfed the alien, pulling him into Boo's body. The demon was very pleased when the surge of energy hit and the knowledge of Frieza's battles entered him.

"Now I have Frieza's power within me. I am one step closer to receiving my revenge." Boo scanned the area. "Now it is time to go on to the next target." Boo found the ki signature that he was looking for and hovered softly in the air. "No one is safe from me. You are next…Cell!" Laughing hysterically, Boo flew off after his prey.

**********

"So that's it," said Bulma. "Now all we need to do is get everyone together. Does anyone know where Krillan and 18 are?"

"They're in the city, " replied Rae. "I think that they're looking for some summer clothes."

"Okay. Trunks and Goten, you two go into the city and find them. Bring them here so that we can figure out a plan. The two boys nodded. "That takes care of them. What about Piccolo?" Goku stepped forward.

"Piccolo is always up at Kami's lookout. I'm sure we can find him there." Bulma liked that news. It seemed that everyone was reachable so far. This situation could turn out okay after all.

"Alright, Goku. You can go get Piccolo. That leaves Gohan and Videl. Where are they?"

"I talked to Gohan before we left today," said ChiChi. "He and Videl were at home when I called. They should still be there."

"That's good." Bulma made her way to the doorway. "We shouldn't have any problems getting everyone together this time. I'm going to go call Videl. We'll get them over here as then we'll try to figure out exactly was it is that is going on." Bulma stepped into the doorway of the gravity room and stopped. "One last thing. When ChiChi and I were up in the spaceship checking on the satellite, I saw a file that had something to do with an 'android B'. I don't know what that is so be careful from now on. Who knows what Dr. Boo has planned." Bulma left the room and went to the main house. Everyone else gathered, looks of concern on their faces. Rae seemed the most worried.

"Do you think something bad is going to happen?" Goten had a very solemn and serious look on his face. Rae knew that meant something was going to happen that she was not going to like. Then she had a thought. "But if we're all together, we can beat anyone, can't we?" The mood of the room changed for the better after that.

"You're right, Rae!" cheered Goten. "We can beat anyone!" He and Trunks gave each other high-fives. Even Goku started slapping hands. Everyone was enthusiastic except for Vegeta, who was thinking hard. He put his back to the group so that they could not see his expressions, which was less hopeful.

The fools! They don't realize what we are up against. Last time we dealt with this Doctor he had complete control over Buu. What is he going to do this time? Are we even ready to deal with it? The more Vegeta thought about it the less hope he had for things turning out well. Something tells me that we are going to have more problems than we bargained for.

**********

Both Bulma and ChiChi arrived at the telephone at the same time. ChiChi picked up and dialed the number. It rang five times before someone picked on the other end. It was Videl.

"Hello?" she asked, her voice sounding very groggy.

"Hello, Videl. It's ChiChi. Are you okay? You don't sound too well."

"Oh. Sorry. I just woke up. I was taking a nap."

"Okay. That's good. Is Gohan there? We need the both of you to come over to the Capsule Corp. as soon as possible."

"Um…Gohan's not here. He left before I went to sleep. He didn't tell me where he was going." ChiChi was confused. That wasn't like Gohan at all. He wouldn't just leave without saying anything. ChiChi's grasp on the telephone loosened and she dropped it. Bulma rushed over to her friend and wrapped her arms around the confused woman. ChiChi seemed to be in another world. Bulma picked up the phone.

"Videl?"

"Yes?"

"I think you should come over here as soon as possible."

"Alright. I'll be there soon." The phone hung up and Bulma placed it back on the holder. From the sound of Videl Bulma was convinced that she was going back to sleep. It was okay…for now. 

"ChiChi, what did she say to you?" Bulma moved in front of ChiChi's face so that they were facing one another. "What did she say?"

"She said that Gohan left and didn't tell her where he was going." Bulma finally understood why ChiChi was so disturbed. It was totally unlike Gohan to do something like that. Whatever his reason was it had to be serious. There was only one thing that was certain; Gohan had to be found. Bulma stood up.

"We have to find him. We'll wait for Goku to come back. He'll help us find him." ChiChi stood up next to Bulma, but she had a much different look on her face. Now she was furious.

"If Boo touched my son…" Bulma fell backward from the ki flaring up around ChiChi's body. She looked on in awe. That turned to utter amazement when she realized that her friend was not wearing the Saiyan Guards at the time. Then, almost as soon as it started, the power subsided and ChiChi walked out of the room. A disoriented Bulma followed, wondering what she had just witnessed.

**********

The cave was cool and damp, the opposite of the harsh conditions outside. Gohan traveled to this spot, which he had not been since he was a child. He was on a very important mission. He examined the walls of the cave, which seemed to give him a lot less room than they used to.

"I used to be able to run through here. Now I almost have to crawl." Still Gohan was able to make his way to the other side of the cave extremely fast. The end of the cave opened into a small room with a single stone center. It was slanted down like a slate and glistened with dew. The room also glistened a light blue hue. Gohan stepped over to the stone and sat down. Now that he was in his thinking room, he could meditate. After what happened today, he had a lot to think about.

Flashback

It was early morning. The birds were just starting to get up and most people were at least an hour away from waking up. Videl and Gohan, though, were wide-awake. For the first time in years they were training together in the early hours of the day.

"Ahhhhhh!" Videl yelled. She chopped at Gohan's chest with cat-like quickness. Even Gohan was thrown of by the speed. He hopped back, but the front part of his gi was ripped. Gohan was pleasantly surprised by the move.

"You're a lot quicker than you were before." Videl relaxed her stance.

"I've been training a lot in the last couple of months. My father wants me to enter the Tenkaichi Budokai at the end of the month."

"Didn't your father retire?" Videl laughed and shook her head.

"Yes, but was he ever really serious about the competition?" Gohan took Videl in his arms and held her close.

"I saw the tape of the first tournament that your father competed in. He had fire in his eyes then. He was just swallowed up by his fame and fortune. Don't forget that he helped my father and Vegeta beat Buu. Mr. Satan is a true champion." Videl pulled herself into Gohan's chest and rested her head.

"You're right, but I'm happy that he's retiring. I get a chance to see him more now."

"Why don't you go call him? I'm sure that he would love to hear from you, regardless of the time. Later on we can go visit him. How does that sound?" The shorthaired woman embraced her husband and ran off to the house, giggling like a little girl. The smile on Gohan's face couldn't be hidden. His heart felt good and he was never happier that he was now. He decided to train a little more before going inside. After throwing some practice punches and kicks he began to feel slightly ill.

"Hmmm," he thought. "It's happening again. That feeling I've been getting the last couple of days. It always seems to happen when either Videl or I are training. I wonder what it could be?" Gohan kicked one more time before charging a small ki ball. "I shouldn't think about it too much. It's probably my body adjusting to the workout again. I have been a little bit too inactive." Gohan moved his arm behind his back and started to throw the energy when it happened. The rush of power raged through his body and threatened to kill him. It almost completely overwhelmed him right at the start. Videl came running out of the house with the phone still in her hand.

"Gohan!" The demi-Saiyan held a hand out.

"Stop! Get back!" Videl wasn't going to listen, but a shockwave created by Gohan moved her all the way back to the house. Reluctantly Videl moved away from both the house and her husband. Gohan gritted his teeth and began trying to form the energy into a beam. It took almost a minute, but he was able to position the energy in his arms. Gohan raised his hands above his head.

Okay. I have to concentrate. I don't want to lose any of this. He crossed one palm over the other. He waited for the moment when it was all flowing in the right direction. His eyes closed, searching for that moment…now.

"MASENKO!!!!" Gohan aimed his hands upward at the sky and discharged a massive beam of blue light energy. The blast was short but there was no doubt that it could be seen for miles around. It was lucky that everyone was still asleep. Still that wasn't Gohan's main worry. His concern was why he all of a sudden had such a massive surge of energy inside of himself. He could still feel a little bit of it inside of his body, coursing through his veins as if to say that he had used it in the wrong way. Gohan winced while it bounced around his body before finally disappearing without a trace. A sigh of relief was interrupted by a gasp of horror when he spotted Videl lying motionless on the ground. In an instant he was by her side and checking her pules. Once again Gohan breathed a sigh of relief; she was unconscious but alive. He picked his wife up and brought her into the house. Opening the door to their master bedroom, Gohan placed Videl on the bed and covered her with a blanket. Her head moved side to side, and then her eyes opened.

"Go-" Gohan placed his finger over her mouth.

"Don't talk. Rest and listen. I'm going out for a while. I don't know when I'm going to be back." Videl tried to protest but fell asleep. Gohan kissed her on the cheek and left the room, closing the door carefully so that he didn't wake he up by mistake. He was just as careful going down the stairs and leaving the house. Once he was sure that he was out of earshot he lifted himself off of the ground and flew in the direction of his favorite meditation spot.

End Flashback

Gohan wen over the situation again and still came up with a blank. In frustration he pounded the stone he was sitting on. Gohan took deep breaths and relaxed himself again. He wasn't going to get anywhere by losing his temper. He had to concentrate. After taking a moment to collect himself, Gohan closed his eyes. He had to get to the bottom of the mystery…before it destroyed him.

**********

Krillan had been at the mall with his wife for about a half an hour. They found a store with some clothes that 18 decided she would bring to her seldom seen brother. A shocked Krillan could do nothing more that wave goodbye when 18 left the mall, promising to come back later in the day. The devilish smile on 18's face convinced Krillan that she wasn't going to be back for a very long time.

"I know she's mad about what Roshi did to her today, but I don't know why she blames me." Krillan walked around the huge building with his hands in the pockets of his green shorts. It had been three hours since 18 left and Krillan had done all the shopping that he could find an excuse to do. Still he had only one bag with a pair of shorts. After wandering aimlessly he came upon a theatre. Seeing nothing better to do he went in to watch a movie. He bought his ticket and a blue berry slushy. He went into the room just as the previews were starting. Krillan sat down in one of the back rows. There were a lot of people in the theatre. A man stepped into the front of the screen.

"Ladies and gentlemen I welcome you to the Maximum Theatre for the showing of the box office smash, 'Mission Impossible 2'." The stagehand exited the room and the lights dimmed down. The movie was moments from rolling when a long, gray, cylinder-like object ripped through the screen and crashed into the first row, missing the spectators there by inches. The first reaction was chaos. Everyone in the room made a beeline for the doors. In a matter of seconds the place was empty except for Krillan, who had made his way against the sea of people to get down to the front. Krillan eyes widened when he put his slushy down and finally had got a glance at the object. It was a long and more than twice his height. It was also more than twice as wide. Krillan moved in closer and felt the scolding heat radiating off of the capsule.

"What is it? Where did it come from?" Krillan attention was then caught by the massive hole in the front wall. "And why did it crash through the wall?" The capsule once again captured Krillan's attention when it started to cool down dramatically. Touching it lightly he found that it was almost ice cold. The cooled air could be seen flowing off of it. "What the hell…" Before he finished his sentence the top of the capsule popped off and cleared away the top 10 rows of seats in the theatre. Krillan jumped back defensively and readied himself. The freezing cold air melted away from the bottom half. Krillan could feel his feet getting cold and numb but he wouldn't allow his focus to waver for even a moment. A large, muscular figure rose from the inside. Krillan couldn't believe how big he was. His sized rivaled Cell, but his bulk was reminiscent of a sumo wrestler. The figure stepped out of the capsule bottom and for the first time Krillan saw the letter C on the side of the container.

"You are not Son Gohan. Where is Son Gohan?"

"Gohan? Just what do you want with him?" Krillan let his eyes lower back to the machine. After closer examination he was that it said 'Android C'. Immediately Krillan started having feelings of deja vu, remembering Dr. Gero and the original androids. Then a sick though entered his mind. Could 18 have…?

"Where is Son Gohan?" demanded the android again. Krillan shook his head. He knew that his wife wouldn't do that. Krillan looked at the android again. He was big, but he seemed to be very flabby. He had light blue pants with a gold ankle chain on his left foot. The android had no shoes and was also topless. His arms were decidedly more solid than his stomach, which resembled jello. His hair was in a short, golden brown braid and his skin was welled tanned. Also for the first time Krillan noticed a letter 'C' on his chest.

"I don't know where Gohan is, and I wouldn't tell you if I knew?" C towered over the smaller Krillan.

"Don't get in the way, little man! Go home to mommy before you get hurt! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Android C walked away. "Son Gohan, I will find you." He started up the steps.

"Like hell you will!" Krillan gathered energy and shot the beast before he could turn all the way around. C was hit in the side with the energy blast, and it was sucked into him! Krillan's jaw dropped when he saw the android light up inside as he apparently absorbed the energy into himself. C licked his lips.

"That was good, but I can see you are going to be a pest. I'm going to have to squash you." The android turned his massive form around toward Krillan. The monk grabbed his wrist and pressed a button on his watch. Poof! In a puff of smoke Krillan changed into a new yellow fighting gi.

"Now I'm ready to fight!" Krillan positioned himself with his right foot forward and his right hand clawed in the same direction. "C'mon! Let's finish this!" C shrugged his shoulders mockingly.

"It's your funeral."

**********


	3. To B Or Not To B

Part 3: To B or not to b

Piccolo was silently meditating. He did so often to relax and contemplate things. Today was a typical day for him, although something seemed slightly different. He opened his eyes and saw Goku standing before him with a big Son smile. The Namek chuckled to himself. Goku was possibly the strongest man in the universe, but he was always so friendly and free spirited. It was a quality that Piccolo had only found in his Saiyan friend. 

"Son Goku. What are you doing here?" 

"Bulma asked me to come and ask for your help. She and ChiChi were attacked earlier by androids." Piccolo pushed his cape to the side. He could feel Goku's calm demeanor taking a serious tone. 

"Androids? Why do you need my help?" 

"I know what you mean, but she says that they were built by the same person who tried to turn me into Buu." The eyes of Piccolo narrowed. He now understood the importance of the situation. It seemed to be a simple, clear-cut android invasion, but it is never that simple. 

"I see. In that case we should leave now." He held out his hand. "It will be good to fight again. I haven't had a real spar in a while. I bet I can still give you a good workout." Goku smiled, thinking the same thing that Piccolo was. He took his friend's hand and shook it. "Maybe after this is over we can find out." Piccolo nodded agreeing. 

"Then it's settled." The two disappeared from view as Goku teleported them away from the palace. 

**********

Gohan's eyes searched around the area. He knew that something was about to happen, but he could not sense any approaching ki. That did not sit well with him. It brought about an unwelcome feeling of uneasiness. 

What luck it would be if something happened right now. I don't think I should fight in my current condition. I don't even know what's wrong with me. Gohan hopped off the stone and once again tried to feel out the disturbance that he was now sure was real. There was one close, but it did not have a ki signature. 

"Blast it!" he cursed at himself, "I can't concentrate! I have to focus. Maybe I should go outside and try it again." Gohan took a single step toward the exit and made it no further. From the opposite side of the cave a long, sleek object burst through and crashed into his back, rendering him paralyzed. It catapulted him through the wall in front of him and all the way to the outside of the cave. Gohan fell limp to the ground and the object hit soon thereafter in front of him, skidding almost 20 yards before stopping. The heat emanating from it was staggering. It had a cylinder-like shape with some writing on the side, but he still could not see well enough to tell what it said. Gohan put his arms under his chest and pushed up, moving his knee under himself as he did. 

That is the toughest pushup I have ever done. From that position, he was easily able to get to his feet, but his head was still very woozy. In much the same way a drunken man would the demi-Saiyan approached the capsule, concentrating heavily on just getting one foot in front of the other. It had now cooled down and the top was slightly ajar. A sense of curiosity overcame him and he pushed the top off all of the way. It took his last ounce of strength to do that, though, and Gohan hell to his knees beside the container. At that level, he was able to read the letters on the side just before he passed out. 

**********

The door to the laboratory opened and Dr. Boo ran in, clearly in a very foul mood. 

"What was that alarm? What just happened in here?" Boo went over to the main computer. "Answer me, Aspa! Just what the hell are you doing in here? I leave for five minutes and alarms and lights are going off everywhere!" 

"I…did what I had to do." 

"You did what? Just what did you have to do?" 

"…"

"Answer me, your worthless corpse!" The Doctor rage was quickly getting out of control and his body was tensing up. He swung his head wildly, looking for any sign of something out of place. Boo keyed in some commands. He accessed the last program run since the androids were launched. The screen read: 

Launch of 2nd Capsule-Successful

Course of 1st Capsule Alteration- Unsuccessful

It took all of one second for Dr. Boo to realize exactly what had happened. He was not a happy man (his attitude could be described as being really, really, really, pissed off.) 

"You ungrateful…" Boo held back, hoping to keep his cool. "After all I have done for you, you return the favor by betraying my trust? Fine!" Boo typed something onto the screen. "Before I shift control of the computer to the dummy plug I want you to tell me one simple thing; why did you release Android B?" 

"If you must call her that then you will never understand." Dr. Boo simply grunted before hitting the enter key. There was complete silence. 

"Computer?" 

"Yes?" The voice was still Aspa's, but it was digital now. 

"Since you have attempted to ruin a very important part of my plan, I have no choice but to alter mine to get her back. Inform Android C that his new orders are to track down and retrieve Android B in one piece. Anyone who gets in the way is expendable. Send the command now." 

"Yes, sir." Dr. Boo walked back to the door of the lab. 

"When Android C returns with Android B I will deactivate the dummy plug. I need you because you are much more efficient. Until then, I want you to think about what you have done and what it means to me. Boo exited the room and turned off the lights, a sense of superiority around him. He was in control and the power was getting to his head. 

**********

Videl had fallen back asleep after her conversation with ChiChi and Bulma, which she had not realized until she woke up and peeked at the clock. The reason for her waking up was a loud sound coming from the living room. Although she still felt very sleepy, Videl knew that it would be in her best interest to go check things out before going back to sleep. 

You can never be too careful. Once again looking at her clock, she wondered why she was asleep so late in the day anyway. Videl slid out of bed and picked up her navy blue silk bathrobe form on a nearby nightstand. She put it on and stepped up to her door, pressing her ear against it to possibly hear whatever was going on downstairs. There did not seem to be any sounds; all was quiet. Videl opened the door and went to the stairs. She was ready for anyone who might try to sneak up and attack. She was not ready for what she saw. 

"WHAT…MY HOUSE!" Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped down to her chest. She tried to run down the stairs, but her utter shock slowed her down and made her stumble her way to the bottom. In what was left of her living room was a capsule with the letter 'A' on the side. It had crashed through the wall to the right of the front door and broken through just about every piece of furniture on the bottom floor of the house. Videl jumped over the banister to the floor. She approached the superheated capsule with extreme caution just as a blast of ice-cold air cooled it from the inside. The top slid off, letting the weighted air roll down the side. From inside of the capsule a man rose. He was slender and short, only slightly taller than Videl. He had a black silk, sleeveless shirt with black silk pants. His arms were muscular and he had a long, thin, black lying over his chest. Videl was impressed; this man kept himself very fit, but she had to ask the obvious questions. 

"Who are you and WHY DID YOU DESTROY MY HOUSE?" To her surprise the man bowed, curbing some of her rage (but not much). 

"So sorry, madam. I did not mean to do so. Let me introduce myself. I am simply know as Android A." He gazed into Videl's eyes with gentleness and tenderness. "You, though, may call me 'Adrian'." He took her hand and kissed it lightly. Videl could not hide her blush. For some reason she felt overpowered by his presence. 

"Um…exactly why are you here?" 

"I am looking for someone. I wonder, do you know the man known as Son Gohan?" Videl nodded. 

"He-he is my husband." Videl's mind began to wander. 

"He is? Well that changes everything. I was wondering if you would do me the honor of accompanying me back to my residence. My…father has summoned Son Gohan and I hope to meet him there. I thought I would find him here, but I was pleasantly surprised to meet you, my lady." Videl blushed again. 

"I was about to leave and…" Adrian looked deeply into her eyes and Videl forgot what she was saying. Android A bent over and picked up the confused woman in his arms. They went over to the hole in the wall that was made by his capsule. 

"Shall we leave?" Videl managed to let her head drop in a version of a nod. The lifted off the ground and flew away. 

**********

A slight breeze rolled through the area. A faint cloud of dust rose from the ground and seeped over two bare, pink feet. Another mist of dust rose from the ground, traveling in the opposite direction and passed by the face of the genetic being known as Cell. Never once did he blink, knowing his opponent, although insane, would take advantage of any moment of weakness. That was okay for Cell, though. He was one who wanted the match. For years, he had been in Hell and he had been unable to find anyone to give him the fight he craved, the kind he had once had against Goku and Gohan. Even the self-absorbed Frieza was defeated in only a few minutes, but not this fighter. Cell knew it would take all of his power to defeat him, and that was what excited him. The anticipation was energizing him to his fullest. Cell stared across at his opponent. 

"I have heard much about you. You have killed many of the people here with your power." An evil grin started to creep across his face. He couldn't help it. Aside from a rematch with Gohan, who Cell was sure was stronger now; this was a dream match. "But now you face someone on your own level. I have defeated the best in Hell. Right now you are the worthiest opponent. We will fight for superiority." 

"He, he, he, he." Buu just gave a very evil smirk and cracked his neck four times, twice on the left and on the right. 

"I see. In that case, let us begin." Cell place two fingers on his forehead. "The match has now begun!" In a blur of color, he disappeared. Buu was more than a bit confused. Then his forelock began to twitch. Buu felt a change in the air current behind him. Turning around he was hit in he face with a very solid knee, and it was a huge dent. Buu took only a single step backward. Cell placed his right hand in the hole and fired a medium sized ki blast, destroying what was left of head. Unable to see, Buu started making uneven steps, swinging his arms widely. Cell intensified his attack, jumping in and punching Buu in the rib cage. After Buu missed with a punch of his own, Cell grabbed the attacking arm, twisted it and broke it off. Taking a second to toss it away, Cell was unable to defend the kick to his right shin. Off balance, he fell to one knee. Buu then regenerated his head. 

"He, he." The pink demon punched Cell across the cheek and kicked him under the chin. Cell used the momentum to his advantage and flipped up to his feet. By that time Buu had already regenerated his other arm and was gathering energy in it. Dauntless Cell charged in. Buu fired his energy, but Cell teleported away before it hit. He reappeared in front of his opponent. Buu wasted no time; he grabbed Cell by the face and fired blast after blast. Cell finally managed to get away after being hit over ten times and he made sure there was a lot of space between him and Buu so that he could recover. He lightly touched his face, checking it for injuries. Besides the burns, he was okay. Cell healed his facial tissue and wiped his mouth. 

"He is much stronger than I thought he would be…good." Cell cracked his knuckles and his neck, loosening himself up. He knew that he was in for a long fight. Buu, however, was absolutely still, and he had a very serious attitude. "I wonder what he is thinking. Many have said he is a psychotic, maniacal demon." 

"That is because he is." The foreign voice caught the attention of Cell and he looked into the sky. There was a pink figure that looked much like Buu, except he was much taller and he seemed to be able to talk. Unable to decide what to do in the situation, Cell stood his ground and waited to see what would happen. He didn't like the idea of anyone interrupting the match he had been waiting for, but he also knew that fighting two people (one which he had no idea the extent of his power) was not wise and could lead to his demise. Boo slowly descended to the floor. He started at Cell, but he took a brief second to glance over his shoulder at his brother. Buu looked right back at him and for the first time he actually smiled. Boo returned the smile, the sudden feeling of love and companionship making the now impatient Cell sick. He then became enraged when Buu walked away from them both. Boo landed where he brother had been standing. Cell gritted his teeth and growled at the intruder. His match was ruined; someone had to pay for that. 

"Bastard! Who are you and what business do you have here?" Despite the outburst, Boo's facial expression was stone cold. 

"You don't give the orders around here. I am your superior." To demonstrate his point Boo let his ki rise. Cell felt it out and could feel a familiar one within it. Frieza. 

"What the hell are you and what is your business here?" Still Boo's face was stone cold. Cell's teeth looked like they might crack at any moment. He was tired of being ignored. "Answer me!" Boo made no move to do anything. Cell was on the verge of insanity when Boo's head moved. Waiting for some sort of reply, Cell was completely pushed over the edge when Boo simply turned his head to the side and disregarded him altogether. That was it. Cell did not even bother to hide his rage. He rushed at Boo and attempted to ram into him, but at the point of impact Cell just fell through. Regaining control Cell turned around and this time flew back, cocking his fist back for a blow. No sooner had he done that Boo appeared in front of him and clasped his hand around Cell's throat. Cell immediately grabbed Boo's hands and tried to pry them off, but the grip was like titanium. He could feel the life seeping from his own body. Boo lifted him higher into the air. 

"Now I will tell you why I am here because I want to. You are going to become part of me and assist me in getting revenge on the fusion. I want your power and your fighting knowledge. It's that simple. You have been in battles with both halves of the fusion, Vegeta and Goku. 

"Ve…geta? Ka…ka...rotto? How…do…you…?" Boo squeezed tighter, making his victim gag. 

"Almost ten years ago I had my chance to fight the fusion and because of interference I was defeated. I imagine that is how you ended here in Hell." 

"You fool! If you think that they are the ones to worry about then you are going to be taking a permanent trip to this godforsaken place!" Intrigued by these words, Boo dropped Cell, allowing him to breathe again. Cell regained his composer and stepped right back up to Boo, face to face and toe to toe. 

"Speak now and explain yourself." Rather than be afraid Cell laughed at Boo's ignorance. 

"If you plan to go back to earth and fight, you can forget about Vegeta and Kakarotto. They are strong, but they aren't who sent me here." 

"And who did?" 

"Son Gohan." 

"Son Gohan?" Boo had remembered that name from the thoughts he absorbed from Garlic Jr. Boo was beginning to think more and more of Gohan now. "Two of the superpowers I have encountered have had problems with this 'Gohan'. Hmmm…"

"Let me make it easy for you," interjected Cell. "You aren't going to get to fight Goku, Vegeta, or even Gohan because I am going to kill you right now." A frown appeared on Boo's face, and he felt a sense of disappointment. 

"You wish to challenge me? You don't stand a chance. Give up now and I will quickly absorb you." Cell wanted to respond, but he did something instead that not even he had meant to do. He started laughing. 

"Absorb?" He placed a hand on Boo's shoulder. Then he quickly became deadly serious and his hand started glowing. 

"What the…" Boo's shoulder was being sucked into Cell. 

"If I had my tail I would stab you until you were full of air holes, but I lost that when I became Perfect. However, being in Hell for so long has had its advantages. I have had time to perfect some new techniques. Among these is the ability to absorb through my hands." Boo had a horrified look. His entire right arm was already pulled in. In desperation, he tried to punch Cell with his other arm, but Cell grabbed the fist with his hand and crushed it. The roar from Boo could be heard for miles around. The entire body of cell glowed with power as he pulled the rest of Boo's body into himself. It was amazing and he felt like never before. "The power! It's ridiculous!" Cell looked at his hands and smiled. "With this power I can have Imy/I revenge! Son Gohan and I will have the rematch…" He stopped in mid-sentence. Something inside of him did not feel right. The power that was coursing through his veins seemed to be trying to push its way out now. Cell tried to hold it in, but it still kept moving outward. 

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" came Boo's voice from inside of Cell. "Did you really think that you were stronger than me? You will never understand the full extent of my power. You will, however, become part of it!"

"Impossible! Ahhhhhhh!" From the inside of Cell's body burst forth millions of tiny strands of pink, undoubtedly from Boo. They wrapped themselves around the tall form of Cell and squeezed, constricting his body. As they tried to crush him, they became thicker and Buu started to form himself on Cell, each of his molecules replacing the helpless being and pushing him into the center. Because they were attacking from the inside, there was no defense. It was gradual, but finally the madness was over. Where Cell had once stood victorious was now Boo. Happy with himself he just stood still and admired his work. He had outsmarted the enemy and accomplished his mission. He turned around and scanned the area. About 100 yards away was his next target. 

"I have taken three out of six so far. I am half way to my revenge. No one can stop me, not even…family." 

**********

"Are you okay?" Gohan heard the voice from his dream say over and over. It seemed so close and so far away at the same time. He also felt like something was tugging on his arm, even though there was nothing around. 

"What's going on?" Gohan stood up and started walking forward. The area around him was devoid of any characteristics. He stood on a blue marble floor with endless nothingness around. Gohan walked around, hoping to find some sign of life or, more importantly, a reason for him being there in the first place. "Maybe if I find that voice…"Gohan turned around slowly, thinking he had heard something else but finding nothing at all. 

"You can't escape me." 

"What!?" He spun around again, back in the direction he was facing originally. This time a man was in front of him. Taking one look at his face, Gohan became speechless and horrified. The clothes on him were tattered badly and his eyes were glowing bright, but not with power. It was pure evil. There was no doubt who was standing before Gohan, and the thought of it was eerie. "You…you're…you're…"

"WAKE UP!" Gohan's head popped off of the ground and he sat up. The girl next to him fell backward, knocked back by the sudden motion. Gohan shook his head once to clear the cobwebs in it and then tried to focus his eyes. They did and he realized that he was still in his meditation area. A glance over to the cave and showed its sorry state. It wasn't going to be much use to him anymore. The roof had totally collapsed. 

"How did I get here?" How…?"

"Are you okay? I was worried about you for a while. You've been unconscious for a couple of minutes now. Gohan turned to her. She was kneeling beside him again. How long she had been there was a mystery to him. 

Wait a minute. The capsule that hit me. I remember now. That's how I got here. She must have been inside of it. Everything was making sense now. Gohan looked over at the capsule and the top had indeed come off. 

"Who are you?" 

"My name is…" Cutting her off in mid-sentence was a surge of power close by. Gohan recognized it and his assumption proved true; a few feet away from the two appeared his father. Gohan was pleasantly surprised, though, by the passenger that Goku brought with him. 

"Piccolo!" Gohan slid his hands beneath him and tried to put his weight on them, but the pain was too great and he fell back on his bottom. Goku rushed over while Piccolo walked calmly. 

"Gohan. I am happy to see you are safe." 

"I can take care of myself, father. Who was worried about me?" Goku chuckled, holding his hand over his mouth to muffle the sound. 

"Bulma wanted us to find you, but your mother was going crazy when we started to leave. She still wishes that you were her little boy." Gohan cracked a smile despite the pain that he was in. 

"Yes, mother does that every once in a while now, even though I've grown up. I don't think she'll ever stop." Goku offered his hand to his son, which was accepted and he helped Gohan to his feet and carried his weight. Piccolo smiled at his pupil. 

"Son Gohan, it's been a long time. Have you been training?" 

"Yes, Piccolo, especially after what happened while we were on Namek. If I wasn't in such bad shape right now I would show you." 

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Even in your state you are still ready for a fight." 

"You trained him well, Piccolo. He'll recover soon and we'll all be able to have a spar together." Piccolo and Gohan nodded in agreement. 

"Gohan, how did you end up like this?" The demi-Saiyan laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. 

"I had a run in with her." He pointed back to the girl, who did not know what to do at that point. "I'm sure it was an accident, but I don't even know her name." Goku helped Gohan over to Piccolo and let the Namek hold up his son. The he walked over to the girl. She slipped into a fighting stance, but she eased out of it when she saw the sincere and innocent look on Goku's face. 

"Hello. My name is Son Goku." He extended his hand again in a show of friendship. "Who are you and how did you beat up my son?" The girl was embarrassed by the question, knowing that she had not done anything. 

"It wasn't me…it was that." She pointed to the capsule. "I was trapped inside of it and when I got out he was lying beside it looking like that. I think it ran into him. He was out of a few minutes. He's going to be okay, right?" 

"Yes." Goku looked back over his shoulder at his son. "He is very tough; he'll be okay."

"That's good. I didn't mean to do anything like that. My name is B. My mother…she used to call me b-chan." She took Goku's and shook it. The Saiyan gave one of his hearty Son smiles, and then noticed the swinging thing behind her. It was long and furry…

"A tail? YOU'RE A SAIYAN?" 

"What!?" exclaimed Gohan and Piccolo at the same time. During the sudden shock the Namek almost lost his grip on Gohan, but he continued to hold him up. B-chan didn't seem to understand the commotion. /P

"Saiyan? What's a Saiyan?" Goku's face scrunched up; now he didn't understand. 

"You don't know what a Saiyan is? Do you know how you got your tail?" B-chan looked back at her tail and then shook her head. 

"I've had it since birth. I was born with it." There was an awkward moment of silence next while Goku, Piccolo, and Gohan tried to figure out what was going on. 

"Son, we should bring Gohan back so that he can rest." 

"You're right, Piccolo." Goku went back over to his son and placed his hand lightly on his shoulder. He turned to b-chan. "Are you coming?" Shrugging her shoulders, B walked over to them. Goku placed his other hand on her shoulder. In an instant they were gone. 

**********

The mall was completely vacant except for Krillan and Android C. C was still on the ground floor, but Krillan had since moved into one of the fitness stores. After making sure that C had not started to follow him, Krillan sat on an exercise bench and gave a deep sigh. 

"He's strong, too strong. I don't know if I can handle him by myself." The monk became silent and solemn. He clenched his fist and stared at it. "But I have to fight him. Who knows what he might do to everyone?" Sitting for a few seconds more to collect his courage, Krillan stood up and again mentally prepare himself for what was coming. "I can beat him." 

"Is that right, Shorty?"

"Huh?" Krillan turned around and the bench he was sitting on slid right into his legs. He fell forward, flipping and landing hard on his back. Android C was over him and he was holding a large weight. 

"Pancakes!" 

"Ahhhh!" Krillan barely avoided the weight by sitting up at the last second, and he did not waste anytime hitting C in the most private of areas. The android winced in pain a little and Krillan rolled back to get away. As he did C grabbed his legs and picked him off the ground. Locking his arms around Krillan's waist, C jumped high into the air, breaking through the roof. 

"Piledriver!" The two forms came back down to the ground. They went through the roof (opening another hole) and went through all the floors until the first again. Android C dropped Krillan's body and it lay motionless in front of him. "Banzai! Ha, ha, ha, ha…"

"Kamekameha!" 

"Hmmm?" C was forced forward five paces by the beam that struck him in the back, after which he became incensed by the interference. "Who are you?" C's eyes rolled around, carefully checking every corner of the building. From behind a column appeared a slim teenager with a very serious look on his face. He was wearing swimming Trunks. 

"Leave Krillan alone." 

"Why should I?" C lifted his huge boot off the floor and pushed Krillan's face into the ground with it, grinding and twisting it. "You're friend here can't do anything about it. What do you think you can do, little man?" 

"I'm not going to do anything right now; he is." Goten pointed to the lighting quick Trunks coming down from the sky, foot extended and aimed right at the android's face. C actually dodged the attack and swung back, but he was hit in the back once again by Goten. He tried to grab Goten, but Trunks kicked him in the knee. As he bent over Goten uppercutted him under the chin. C bent back slightly. Trunks flipped forward and came down on his neck with his left leg. C's head hit the floor hard, but he rolled and jumped up to his feet. He began to move back toward his adversaries, but stopped suddenly. 

"I hate to break up the fun we're having, midgets, but duty calls. I have a job to do. We'll meet again later." Just as abruptly as he had stopped, Android C blasted off through the roof, creating yet another hole. Goten and Trunks looked at each other, hoping that the other would be able to explain what happened. 

"Maybe he was scared?" suggested Goten. 

"I don't know…let's get Krillan and get out of here. If the police find us there are going to be a lot of questions." Goten ran past his friend and over to the fallen monk. He picked him up and flew up to the roof, using one of the many gaping holes to exit the building. Trunks looked around one last time at the dilapidated structure. "They don't make them…never mind." Trunks lifted off and left building. 

**********

The two brothers gazed into each other's eyes, both realizing exactly what was about to happen. This was a struggle for superiority, nothing more. It would be a test of wits and courage, and a test of family ties. 

"So you know why I am here. I am going to kill you, brother." Boo was very serious. His hands twitched, though, showing that he was not totally comfortable with the idea. "I have a chance to not only escape from my prison, but to get revenge on the person who put me back there in the first place. I need your power. Fuse with me and I won't have to kill you. Drop the façade that you have been putting forth. I know that you can talk. Answer me now!" Across the way, Buu silently contemplated his brother's words, then he gave his answer; with a single finger he beckoned Boo to come. 

"Just bring it." 


	4. Androids, Androids Everywhere!

Fusion…HA! 2- The Dead Zone

Part 4- Android, Androids Everywhere!

"The door to the laboratory opened with a wisp and in entered Android A. In his arms was the wife of Son Gohan, awake but in a sedated state. The android carried her over to a holding cell to the side. The steel door opened automatically and Adrian placed Videl down on her feet. She stood completely still in that spot as the cell door was closed as if she were dead to the world. Adrian pulled the lever on the side and there was a locking sound. At that moment Dr. Boo walked in and joined Adrian in front of the cell.

"This is his wife?" asked the Doctor. He had collected information on her, but he had not actually seen the picture that was used in his android files. Aspa had found it for him.

"Yes. She is a gem. I find her very… pleasant to be around. I quite enjoyed my assignment." Dr. Boo gave Adrian an evil eye. Boo could spot distraction a mile away.

"Don't forget why you are here. I had to punish Aspa because she disobeyed me. Don't let this pawn cause you to do something that you will regret." Android A bowed respectfully.

"Don't worry, doctor. I have not forgotten what you have done for me. I will do as you say. I have brought you the wife; now I will bring you the man himself." Adrian straightened up and clenched his fist. "I anticipate out battle and it will be glorious!"

"Have your fight, but don't let it interfere with my plan or you will regret it. Prepare for your assignment."

"Of course, sir. I will leave at once on my mission." Adrian exited the room, beaming over his anticipated confrontation. Dr. Boo reached over to a nearby computer panel and hit a button. A large, metal chair came out of the floor in the cell. Dr. Boo opened the door and helped Videl into it. He strapped her in and re-locked the cell. Going back to the panel, Dr. Boo activated a program and an electric charge was sent through the chair. After the first shock Videl came to her senses and let out a painful cry. Dr. Boo turned the current off and crossed his arms, resting his chin on his fist. 

__

What will she do now?

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO ME? WHERE AM I? WHO ARE YOU?" She tried to muscle out of the restraints, but they were too strong. Dr. Boo clapped approvingly. Her spirit was amazing. She seemed angrier than scared, if she was scared at all.

"You are feisty my dear. You will make a remarkable addition to my forces. Yes, I do believe you will." Videl struggled even more to get free, but it was pointless. The restraints were too strong, even for her.

"You can't do this to me! If I don't get out of here Gohan will come and you'll wish you had never seen me!" Dr. Boo let out an evil cackle at the remark. Getting tired of being laughed at Videl gritted her teeth together.

"I want Son Gohan to come. He has the biggest role in my master plan. You are nothing more than bait." Videl's eyes lit up with fire and her muscles tensed. Dr. Boo continued to laugh until he heard a beeping on his computer. He rushed over to the main console and took a look at the readings.

Power Level: Rising Exponentially

"Her power is indeed great." Boo went back to Videl. "You may be more valuable than I originally thought. Such potential." Videl's anger and power blew into a rage just before she fell unconscious.

**********

The area around the Madam's Mansion has begun to grow back. Long after the battle between Gotenks and Hunter, not to mention the return of Buu and Boo, the area's greenery had begun to appear again. A small bird flew into the area and sat down on a bush. The trees had yet to grow to their usual height so it's selection wasn't on of choice. It relaxed on a thin twig, regaining its energy to take off again, but something was wrong. At first it seemed that it was resting, then it started to feel tired. It began to panic, hopping and flapping but not knowing what to do. Still it was losing energy. Finally it decided to get away. It tried to fly off, but something was holding it down. It was… pink gum? The bird, which had lost most of its energy, could not break free. Slowly it's wings started to feel like added weights. They slumped down until it couldn't lift them anymore. The gum receded and formed a puddle outside of the bush. It began to form a shape of a body. As it did its features came to be more defined. It's face formed, revealing a teenager with evil intent.

"I'm back."

**********

"I can feel two strong powers over in this direction. They must be Buu and his brother. They are so identical, yet one is definitely stronger than the other." The Madam flew over the desolate terrain of Hell. She had long gotten used to it but not a moment passed by that she wished to escape. To be alive… to have revenge. More than anything she wanted revenge on the fusion, Chima. Bulma and ChiChi were going to die; the Madam had been toying with them. If it hadn't been for the interference of the other fusion Gotenks she would have defeated the two.

"Something is about to happen unlike anything else. It is not chance these two are together. If I stick close enough to them I might get lucky." With great anticipation she blasts off to the site of the confrontation.

**********

Gohan was laid across the bed, basically unable to move most of his body. He felt like he had been in battle, one worse than even that of Cell. His insides burned like never before; they felt as if they might actually burst. Even though he had no direct control over his body, he was deep into spasms. Rae, Trunks, and Goten attempted to keep him still.

"Gohan," pleaded Rae who was by his side trying to hold him down by his chest. "I can't heal you if you keep moving so much." Goten strained while trying to keep Gohan's arms down. Trunks wasn't having much more luck with his legs.

"Goten, change to a Super Saiyan!" Trunks yelled just before getting a foot to the mouth.

"Why?" The right arm broke free and Goten had to jump on it to hold it down again. This wasn't working.

"Because as a Super Saiyan we might be able to hold him down." Suddenly Trunks' words began to make sense. The both of them raised their auras quickly and powered up to SSJ level. It helped and they were able to keep Gohan's flailing limbs in check. Rae smiled and held her hands over Gohan's chest. A white glow emanated from her, flowing smoothly into his every pore.

"I think that will work, guys. Good idea." The boys continued to hold Gohan down when Bulma and ChiChi came into the room. Both were holding their Saiyan Guards closely. Despite Gohan's condition and what they themselves had been though they seemed to be calm. They were even dressed casual, both wearing a T-shirt and shorts, Bulma's being white/blue and ChiChi's being green/black. Goten looked at his mother with a questionable gaze.

"Mother, what's that?" he asked, referring to her clothes.

"I borrowed some clothes from Bulma to wear for now. How is Gohan?" She approached her son and placed her palm on his forehead. He seemed to relax then. Goten and Trunks stepped away to give Rae and ChiChi more room. Bulma could see that ChiChi was not only worried about her son, but that it might be in his best interest to have her stay there, at least until Videl arrived.

"Is somebody going to say anything to me?" asked Krillan from across the room. Everyone turned around at once to see Krillan in his bed, bandaged up from the beating he had received at the hands of Android C.

"Is this what you did after I left?" Once again all of the heads turned to the door. This time it was 18 who stepped in. She was smiling like never before.

"What's so funny?"

"Well you seem to be okay. That's nice to know. I've also managed to get a little help, just in case."

"Help?" they all asked at the same time. From behind 18 stepped a man with silky black hair. He was the same height as she and wore a black t over a white shirt. He had blue jeans and an orange scarf around his neck. There was no mistaking it. It was…

"17. Never thought I'd see you again." Once again everyone turned to the doors. In walked Son Goku. Behind him, oddly enough, was the prince of the Saiyans Vegeta. Goku walked right up to 17 and extended his hand, which was taken and shook by 17.

"There is no time to waste with reunions!" spat Vegeta. "We have to get serious. What the hell is going on here? The bald guy gets beat up, the two women get shot at in space, and Kakarotto's brat gets hit with a box and is down for the count! Someone please explain this to me!" Everyone seemed shocked and confused by the fact that Vegeta had put the word 'please' anywhere in his sentence.

"Well we don't know, Vegeta," answered Bulma. "Maybe when b-chan wakes up we'll be able to find out."

"Hey, I just had a thought." Krillan sat up. "How did you know that there was something going on, 18? Weren't you with your brother?" Both the original androids smirked.

"When I went back to the mall it was pretty obvious something had happened. There was debris everywhere and holes in the walls. Since I didn't see you I figured you had something to do with it. After hearing some of the people talk about it I figured that something was going to happen so I went back to my brother to get him to come. It didn't take much convincing." 17 pounded his fists together.

"I haven't seen much action in a while. I'm looking forward to a good fight. Maybe I'll get a chance to showcase some of my power."

Boom! There was an explosion outside the house. Everyone able to move began to rush outside at once except for the androids and Vegeta. They didn't bother. They knew he was already out there. The other's stopped in the hall. They could feel his ki signature as well. Bulma turned to Goku.

"Do you think that they came to get b-chan?"

"I don't know. Where is she right now?"

"Asleep in the room next to Krillan and Gohan. She should be okay but I'll peek in on her just to make sure." Bulma ran off to b-chan's room. Rae ran back to tend to Gohan, as did Goten, Trunks, and ChiChi. Goku closed his eyes and let his mind search outside for ki. Even though he couldn't sense his enemy, he knew that he was there. Of course, there was someone else there whom he could sense.

"Piccolo."

**********

B-chan lay on the bed with her eyes closed. She hadn't done much since getting to Capsule Corp. For some reason the trip in her own capsule had left her tired and sleepy. Maybe she had been in there for a while. Bulma had shown her up to a room on the second floor of the building that she had found to be very comfortable. B put her hands behind her head and relaxed. So much had happened in so little time. She had met Piccolo, Goku, and Gohan almost immediately. Goku was an interesting character. He was more like a big teddy bear than a fighter, but b-chan could feel his power, which seemed to have no bottom. When they arrived at Capsule Corp. B was introduced to Bulma, ChiChi, Vegeta, Goten, Rae, and Trunks. Bulma and ChiChi were very nice. Vegeta asked her about her tail before going off on his own. Goten was a lot more friendly than anyone and b-chan knew that he had to be Goku's son. Trunks seemed to be quieter, but also a slight arrogance about him was apparent. It wasn't much, but b-chan picked up on it right away. She knew he was the son of Vegeta, without a doubt. Rae didn't say much to her. She did growl though, when b-chan first looked at Goten and talked to him. Not wanting to start a disagreement she cut the conversation short. She made the excuse that she was tired and found out that when she was presented with a bed that she really was. Now she decided to get some rest and to figure out why she was there later. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

A few minutes later Bulma opened the door to the room to check on b-chan. She was resting peacefully in the bed and Bulma couldn't see anything wrong in the room. Not wanting to disturb her sleep Bulma left quietly and closed the door behind herself.

**********

Outside of the Capsule Corp a bright white cape fluttered in the wind. Piccolo eyed his foe with extreme prejudice. He couldn't feel his ki, which convinced him 100% that he was an android. Not knowing what kind of power he was dealing with meant he had to be very careful. No mistakes.

"What do you want?" he asked bluntly.

"I am looking for Android B. I know she is here somewhere. Show me where she is and I'll spare you." Piccolo gritted his teeth. The Android was mocking him.

"You aren't taking anyone away from here." Piccolo crossed his arms. "If you try I'll be forced to stop you."

"Is that supposed to scare me… Piccolo?" The Namek was only slightly shocked that the android knew his name. The others had as well, although this one was made by a different person. It did bother him for another reason; if they knew him they would also know his fighting power. If they had overcompensated for it he would lose the fight before it began.

"Leave now or fight."

"Not a bit of fear, right green boy? Good. I like beating cocky guys into a pulp." C cracked his knuckles and smiled. Tell you what, green boy. I'll let you get the first shot. No gimmicks. Hit me as hard as you can. A once in a lifetime chance." He pointed to his cheek, tapping it and motioning Piccolo to hit it. In a flash Piccolo appeared in front of him and cracked him across the face. Android C twirled around like a top, descending as he went backward.

"How's that?"

"That… was pathetic. You can't do any better than that. I'll tell you what. I'll give you another hit, free of charge, but only if you act in the next three seconds." Not one to pass up an opening Piccolo dived at him. The android smiled. "I didn't say Simon Says!" He swung a backhand at Piccolo that was ducked. Piccolo spun around on the other side and crossed his arms again.

"I am not a fool. I could see that attack coming before you thought it up."

"Really? Any more words of wisdom?"

"Yes. That punch that you used to gauge my power is useless. It wasn't even close to my real power. If you can't contend with me now you have no chance and would be better off leaving this place." C seemed to be impressed by Piccolo's words.

"So you knew? No matter. I am stronger than you either way as you will soon see." Piccolo pointed right at C and motioned for him to attack with his finger.

"Enough talk." C rose above the Namek and threw a volley of ki balls at him. Piccolo dodged each, moving closer and closer to the android. Finally C made a huge one and tossed it. Piccolo caught it with both hands and tossed it back at him. It blew up in C's stomach. Piccolo followed it and hit the android with an uppercut, followed by a series of punches to all parts of the torso. C shook off the initial shock and grabbed Piccolo's right arm. His knee smashed the Namek under the chin, causing him to spit up blood. Spinning around once C tossed him to the ground. Piccolo stopped himself just as his feet softly touched down. He dodged out of the way of C's cannonball and fired an energy ball at his face. Its explosion covered C's sight just long enough for Piccolo to hit with a flying kick to the stomach. He spun around and went for the head, but it was blocked. Swinging back the other way he tried again, but was once again blocked. Piccolo faced forward and was walloped in the stomach with C's massive hand. In one movement Android C hit Piccolo with his own uppercut, grabbed him with his other hand, and smashed him into the ground. C grabbed his other leg and picked him up. Violently he smashed him into the ground again.

"You aren't so tough now with your mouth full of dirt. What are you going to say now, green boy?" Android C picked Piccolo up a third time. As soon as he did Piccolo fired a beam right into the eyes of the robot, breaking the hold. He landed on one knee and stood up. With his back to C he grabbed his turban and tossed it to the side. He took hold of his cape and did the same thing.

"I was going to say that I've only just begun. You'd better not be getting tired."

"I don't get tired, especially not when I have things to beat up like little green men from Mars."

"You won't make fun of my home world when I rip out your voice box." Piccolo ran up to C and hit him with an open palm thrust to the chest. Unfazed C grabbed him around the neck and head-butted him on the forehead. That was very effective as Piccolo began to see two people in front of him. He knew he was in trouble. Knowing exactly where the arm that was holding him was he hit it with an axehandle smash, breaking the hold. He landed on his feet and staggered back.

"Awww. Did I hurt the little baby?"

"Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Blue waves of energy seemed to entangle themselves around his green body. They moved to the top of his head and then rocketed off of his body. Blue flames covered his form. Piccolo clenched a fist. "Let's fight."

"Gladly." Android C raised his hands and made a large energy ball above his head. "Not even you can block this." Instead of becoming worried Piccolo seemed delighted.

"I don't have to." He placed his right index and middle fingers on his forehead and they sparked with power. Then he pointed them right at the energy ball. "MAKANKOSAPPO!!!!" The beam easily pierced through the sphere and caused it to explode.

**********

The Madam touched down between the two brothers, smiling like she had not a care in the world. She tossed her hair aside and smiled at Buu.

"So I was made from you? I have to say that I am not very impressed. I thought you would be more powerful… and better looking. A big disappointment in both areas. Buu seemed unaffected by the remark, but his brother was a little less calm. The Madam quickly picked up on this and turned her attention to Boo.

"Leave here, woman, while I am still thinking about killing you."

"And miss out on what is about to happen? I don't think so." Boo gave her a questioning look. "I know it is not a coincidence that two huge powers arrived in the same place at the same time. At least one of you had a reason for making this happen. Which I am not sure but it doesn't really matter, does it? I want in on whatever is happening. At the very least you plan on leaving this place and I don't want to miss out on that!" For a split second both Buu and Boo had a look of bewilderment on their faces.

"What makes you think that if I was leaving this place that I would let you 'tag' along? What would give you that right and privilege?"

"I am your brother in a sense. I am made of what you are… and I know what you have to face on the other side." Boo was silent. "You know what I am talking about, don't you? Admit it." The thought of it brought anger to his face.

"The fusion." He gritted his teeth. "You may prove of usefulness. First thing's first." Boo turned his back on the Madam and faced his brother again. "Right now I must deal with you. It is your choice. Either merge with me or bring pain upon yourself like you've never felt before." Buu stared cold into his brother's eyes, an anger seething beneath his skin that couldn't be mistaken. Boo could feel it and sighed sadly.

"Like I said before… just bring it."

**********

The teenager slowly walked over to the tallest thing he could find, which was a growing tree. He propped himself up, unable to hold his own weight just yet. In a few minute he would be back to normal. Being in his liquid form had been stressful. He hadn't been able to pull himself together for a long time. When he had he realized he had very little energy left and was forced back into his liquid form. For the longest time he was unable to regain his energy. He needed a little spark but because the area had been decimated no one had been there. The bird had been the first living thing close enough. It provided the spark he needed. His cells were functioning again. He would soon be back to normal. After that there would only be one thing left to do; find Trunks.

"Finally we will have our battle. I will make sure that twit Goten doesn't interfere." Hunter looked toward the sky. "Mono a mono. Trunks and I. I will destroy him." Hunter blinked and smiled. His body had not let him down. He was healed. Now to get to business. Should he hunt Trunks down immediately, or play with him as he did before? Goten and Rae had to be taken into account, as they would most likely try to interfere.

"What can I do to get him alone?" Then it hit him. Use the others against him. Let them all come. Take Goten and Rae hostage, forcing Trunks to not only come for them, but to fight him. Hunter couldn't believe his genius. There was no way Trunks could refuse. Even better was the fact that there was no way that Trunks could win. Although Hunter had been in his liquid form he had gotten stronger from the last battle with Gotenks. Trunks would be dealing with a tougher opponent this time around.

"Now, where is my prey?" Hunter looked around and scanned the area with his sixth sense. It didn't take him long to find Trunks. "There he is, with Goten and Rae. There seem to be some other powers there as well. No matter. I'll keep my level down and run there. By the time they realize I've struck it'll be too late. They'll wish they had completely destroyed me." Hunter began to run to the Capsule Corp, making sure to keep his power level too low to be detected.

"It's over, Trunks. You die now!"

**********

"A golden haired boy?" B-chan woke up with a start. She looked around, expecting to see someone in front of her, but there was nothing. "That was the weirdest dream." B-chan jumped out of the bed and ran to the door. She opened it and walked down to the next room where she found everyone waiting around. Gohan was still on the bed in pain. Rae was standing over Krillan, who was now nearly 100%. 17 and 18 were in a corner talking to one another. Goku was staring at the wall for some reason. Vegeta was staring right at b-chan when she entered. Goten, Trunks, ChiChi, and Bulma were with Gohan.

"Hi, b-chan," said Bulma. "Just getting up?" Vegeta stepped up before she could answer.

"I've waited long enough. What the hell is going on and why are they after you?" B-chan was stunned by the sudden blunt question. Bulma was peeved at the rudeness of it.

"Um… I don't know. Who's after me?"

"Whoever is fighting the Namek." 17 walked over from his sister and walked out the door.

"Where are you going?" asked Bulma. 17 smiled, as did his sister.

"To have some fun." He disappeared. Vegeta stared at hole through b-chan, still unsatisfied with her response.

"Don't you still have to find his wife?" asked 18, pointing to Gohan. Bulma looked at Vegeta, giving him a look that said 'Don't do anything while I'm gone'. He gave her a none-to-reassuring one of his own. 

"18, could you come with me. There may be more of them; right now we can't be too careful. ChiChi has to stay with Gohan, to keep him calm. I'm not sure why Rae is unable to heal him, but until he is okay she'll have to stick with him." 18 went over to Bulma and walked out the door. Bulma eyed her husband one last time. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Yes, dear," he said sarcastically. The two left and blasted off to Gohan and Videl's house. Vegeta turned his attention to Goku this time. He had been monitoring the fight from the inside. "Do you think that Piccolo and the android can handle it?"  


"I don't know. I've been trying to get some sort of power reading on him, but since he's an android it may be impossible. Piccolo seems to be doing okay. I don't think he's in any danger. He's almost at full strength and has most of his energy. As far as 17, who knows? No ones seen him in years."

"The androids fight the androids; what a joke."

**********

Piccolo was starting to show signs of heavy breathing. He was doing okay, but he knew that in the end he would only drain some of the android's energy. It wouldn't be enough to defeat him, and that's what counted. Android C, of course, was feeling fine. He couldn't get tired. He could feel the battle evening out.

"C'mon, green man. Are you going to tell me that you can't fight anymore? If you can't then I'll just finish you now."

"Your wrong. I don't give up." Piccolo extended his arm and hit C with a long distance right hook. He flew toward the android and hit him with a knee to the knee, almost buckling it backward. C ended up on his face. Piccolo stood up behind him, retracted his arm and fired a barrage of blasts, each more intense than the others. Out of the smoke C stood up and reached up to punch. It was swatted away. Piccolo hit C with another blast to the face that knocked the android back. C jumped up and attacked again, opening his arms wide and then smacking them close around his ears.

"KABOOM!" An explosion went off and covered them in smoke. A thud could be heard, then another. When the smoke cleared Android C was standing tall and Piccolo was on his knees. The sides of his head were wrecked, blackened and bloody. To make it worse he couldn't hear a thing. "How'd that feel, little green man? Oh, wait. That's right. You can't hear me. Well let me show you what I'm going to do to you." He bent down so that Piccolo could see him and brought his finger across his throat. 

"Baka…"

"Don't worry, Piccolo. I'm sure one of your friends will come out here to save you. I won't destroy you just yet."

"That wouldn't be wise." 17 walked nonchalantly onto the battlefield. "You would have to use energy to do that. If you use to much I won't have any fun."

"You must be one of Dr. Gero's creations. You are an android, aren't you?"

"…You could say that. I am my own man. I do as I please, and right now it would please me to find out just how strong you are. If you would…" 17 motioned for C to attack. The android nodded.

"Of course. I want to see just how strong you are myself." C lifted his hands to form a ball of ki but was hit in the stomach with a shoulder by 17. Effortlessly he lifted up the much larger C and shot him away with a large blast. C rolled off of the blast and countered with one of his own. 17 held out his hands, blocked it, and tossed it aside. C fired twelve more, all of which were blocked and tossed. Finally C rushed in and punched at 17 defense. That managed to throw the smaller android off balance. Lightning quick C punched 17 in the face twice. The android traveled a way before flipping over to his feet. He stood up and dusted his clothes off.

"That was a pretty good hit. I must say that this creator of yours has outdone himself. You are indeed strong."

"Cut the act. I know you think that you are still stronger than I am. I haven't begun to show my power and…"

"And I tire of you. You aren't the challenge I was looking for. I plan to finish this very quickly. If you have any thing terribly important to say then do it now. It will be your last chance." C shook his head.

"No, this is your last chance to say anything to your friends before you destroy them."

"Nani?"

**********

Back in the laboratory of Dr. Boo the scientist was beaming with delight. His army was just about to get two new members. He typed in the command on his computer and watched the fun.

**********

"What is that sound?" asked 18 out aloud to no one in particular. All of a sudden she had heard a loud, almost piercing sound. It hadn't actually bothered her; just caught her attention. It seemed somewhat familiar, a little too familiar.

"What's wrong, 18?" Bulma looked over at her friend, who seemed slightly disturbed at the moment.

"Nothing. It's nothing."

"Okay. Well soon I'm going to have to land to keep from being sensed. My husband has taught me about that. Even though they can't sense your ki Dr. Boo just might have another means of detecting you. You should stay low as well."

"Fine. Do you think that Videl has been taken captive?"

"…I'm hoping not, but it doesn't look good. She hasn't answered any of the phone calls that I've made and I don't sense her power. I don't know what to make of it really. I just hope that she is in one piece. That may sound harsh, but given the circumstances I think it's pretty accurate."

"There is it." Bulma was shocked to see that they had flown to the house so quickly. Her training with the Saiyan Guards had been paying off. The sight of the house, though, was not all pleasant. There was a huge hole in the side that spoke volumes about what happened. They quickly scanned the debris and searched the intact portion of the house; nothing. Videl was officially missing.

"Damn! We're too late. He must have gotten her, but why would he take her? What does she have to offer him?" Bulma slammed her fist into a nearby wall. 18 sensed her frustration and offered her own suggestion.

"Maybe he wasn't after her. Maybe he's after Gohan."

"Gohan?"

"He did try to use Goku to fuse with Buu before, correct? He may have decided to use Gohan instead because of his power potential. If that was the case then he would have to lure Gohan to him somehow."

"…Videl's the bait… we have to get back to the house before he sends something after Gohan. He won't be able to defend himself." 18 and Bulma took off again, headed back for the Capsule Corp. in hopes of saving the demi-Saiyan.

**********

That damn high pitched sound was really starting to bother 17. Still he managed to be able to totally thrash Android C without so much as breaking a sweat. At this point C's head was bolted into the ground. He dug around it and finally was able to dig it up. He wiped the dirt from his ears and laughed.

"That the best you got, skinny boy?!" 17 tried to focus on the brute in front of him, but he could keep his eyes trained on him. To make things worse he was beginning to see double and triple. He held his head, almost forgetting to keep his feet under himself. With the speed and grace of a slug he formed a ball of ki and threw it at C, or what he thought was C. The errant energy tore a hold through the Capsule Corp building. In a flash there was an explosion, not large but enough to get the attention of everyone inside. Responding to the situation Goku and Vegeta came outside.

"17?" Goku had seen 17's plight right away. The android was now on his knees and unable to take his hands from his head.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Get out of my head! No!" He rolled around on the ground, in indescribable pain. Goku and Vegeta looked on, baffled by what was bothering him.

"17? What's wrong?"

"Can't you hear it?" Goku looked past Android C and saw Piccolo getting to his feet. He looked okay except for his head, which looked like burnt mold on toast. "It looks worse than it feels."

"What were you talking about, Piccolo? Hear what?"

"Even someone as dense as you should be able to hear it, Kakarotto." Vegeta stepped out in front of him. "There is some kind of sound wave, high frequency. What it is saying to him I don't know. But I'm sure you do, don't you?" He stared right at Android C.

"Maybe."

"Maybe I beat it out of you. I have a way with my fists that just makes people want to tell me things." He cracked his knuckles and smirked. "All of your android powers in the world couldn't save you from me. I don't think I'm going to let you make up your own mind. I'll just start dismembering you right now." Vegeta's aura flickered before exploding out. White energy encased his body and then turned yellow.

"Vegeta?"

"Not now, Kakarotto. I…" By that point Vegeta had already seen what was bothering his friend. On the ground 17 seemed to have gotten control of himself. He was sitting on his knees now, breathing hard. That was weird in it's own right. What made things worse was that they could now feel about him what they thought was ki. Both were completely dumbfounded. Android C didn't seem confused at all.

"Well, well, looks like he's finally coming around. That's pretty good. I think I'm going to have some real fun now. You still want a piece of me, runt? Be careful, your friends may need your help first."

"He's up!" yelled Piccolo. "This doesn't look good."

"No, Piccolo. It doesn't." 17 ran his hand through his hair and pushed it back to the side. "You have to contend with me now. I think I'll start by breaking your legs. Sounds like fun." 17 stalked over to Piccolo, completely void of his older personality.

"No you don't! If you fight him you fight me!" Goku quickly powered up and fired a ki ball. 17 jumped over it and flew into the air. Piccolo and Goku followed him, disappearing from the area.

**********

Things weren't going well for the people inside Capsule Corp. Krillan was finally healed, but Gohan was not. B-chan still had no idea what was going on and had no idea who or where her family was. Trunks and Goten stood around ChiChi, who was sitting by her son, worried. He hadn't been able to recuperate from such a little injury. Why? He should have been fine without medical treatment. Something wasn't right.

Krillan sat up off of the bed. "Did you hear that? That noise outside." He looked to the window, but there was nothing there. He turned back to the guys, who were staring at him like he was crazy

"Are you okay Krillan?" asked Goten. "Maybe you hit your head a few times in your fight?" Trunks and Goten then both erupted into a fit of laughter. Krillan was a little peeved, but decided to forget it. There was no point.

"I know I saw something." He turned back to the window and there was a man smiling and waving right at him.

"That's because you did." Android A floated in the window. With three quick moves he put Krillan through a wall, sending him crashing into the bed that b-chan had slept in. B-chan was his next target. He stood right in front of her. She didn't move. She was unafraid. "Little B, my job does not concern you. I'll deal with you when it does." He pushed by her, showing his lack of respect for her power. Not having to take much time to think about it she jumped at him from behind. A saw it coming before she jumped and backhanded her through another wall. She fell out of the building to the ground below.

"Hey, you!" yelled Trunks. "Why don't you fight someone your own size?" Adrian silently held his hand out and formed a massive ki ball.

"Here, play with this." A launched it at Trunks, but Goten was also in its path. With no other defense they tried to stop in with their bare hands. It pushed them back to the wall behind them and a power struggle ensued. Nonchalantly A walked over to ChiChi and Gohan. She stood up in a fighting stance, ready to protect her son. To the android this seemed almost laughable.

"You would really try that, even though you don't have your precious Guards?" It was true. ChiChi's Saiyan Guards were on the floor next to the bed. They were in reach, but she didn't care. Even if she was quick enough to grab them she didn't want to. 

"You leave my son alone."

"Or what?"

"…Or…" ChiChi gritted her teeth and a rumble came from deep within her. A was unsure of what it was at first, but he was sure that he had never seen or heard it before. What he had never seen was the woman in front of him start to raise her ki the way she was without the help of Saiyan Guards. White pockets of fire were everywhere, showing off a massive amount of suppressed energy. The foundation of the house was shaking because of it.

"Well that's impressive, but I think I'll have to end that little fun now." In an instant it all stopped. ChiChi, eyes glazed over, slumped over A's fist. With a flick of his forearm he tossed her to the vacant bed and never looked back. He picked up Gohan and looked one more time at Trunks and Goten, who were getting the better of the energy ball.

"Where…do… you thing… you are going?"

"I have to report back to my master. Don't think you'll be coming along." The energy ball started to go bright white. Light rays were escaping from every part.

KABOOM!

**********

"I apologize, brother, but I think I'll have to postpone our fight for just a second longer. I can't stand to have unfinished business. What I'm saying is the witch is beginning to annoy me with her presence." Boo ripped off his forelock and looked at the Madam. "You will become part of me." He tossed it at her and it melted into a liquid form. Before it reached her, though, The Madam vaporized it.

"I know those tricks. It isn't going to be that simple." A raging yell came from her lungs as she powered up and charged at Boo. Her fist cocked back and glowed with energy. "I will show you how to fight!" Boo laughed and charged her. Not expecting it, Madam Tush ran right into him. To her surprise she didn't get knocked back; she was sucked into him. Because of the speed that she had been running at she was absorbed in less than 10 seconds. Boo's power started to rise once again. The change was significant, but not by much. Once it was over Boo glanced at his brother.

"Now that you have no other distractions I think it's finally time to finish this." Buu took a defensive position, more conventional than this usual carefree fighting style.

"You are right. It is the time. No more games or distractions. You and me for the last time. Goodbye, brother." Boo flared up his aura and blasted off, his brother doing the same.

**********

Doctor Boo was very happy with himself. He had done it again. He stood at the control console and pressed a button. Across the room the door to the cell opened up, allowing the smoke that had collected inside to rush out. From inside a figure, a female figure, stepped forward, making it's way over to the Doctor. She had a very confident swagger and a smile to match.

"That's right. Come to me." The female walked slowly to its master and stopped in front of him. She stood straight up, arms crossed over her chest. "Let's see," he said, thinking out aloud. "Seems like you've taken to the treatment very well, as I knew you would. Seems I was able to release the power that was deep inside of you. How very smart of me." He ran his hands through her hair and down her back. The figure wore black wrap gloves and black pads that stretched to her elbow. Her shirt was a sleeveless black spandex with a 'V' cut that reached to just above her stomach. Her bottoms were black spandex as well with a red dragon design on the side. Her boots were leather, and across her waist she has a leather belt with a silver buckle.

"Reporting, Master Boo."

"Good, Videl, good. You are obeying orders, but there is something that's has to change. That name of yours is nice, but it connects you to your past. You need something more suitable for your new personality. Dr. Boo began to think while Videl waited for her next order. "Aspa."

"Yes, Dr. Boo?"

"Rearrange the letters in Videl's name and see if you can come up with a replacement." The computer screen blipped ands showed the results.

First Selection: Devil (pronounced Day-vell)

"I think we have a keeper!"

**********

Trunks woke up and his head was throbbing. That blast was pretty strong. If he had a chance to go Super Saiyan he might have been able to avoid such a decisive defeat. That was in the past now. It was very apparent that Gohan was probably taken. He had no visual conformation because he couldn't see straight just yet. Instead he tried to feel his surroundings.

"Well I can see that my father, Goku, and Piccolo are still here. They are outside fighting. Must be an android, because I can sense him." He went to the next power. "Krillan is close, I think in the next room. He must have been hit pretty bad with that blast as well." He went on to the next after that. "B-chan… she's okay. She's close. If I remember correctly she was hit outside. I think she'll be okay." The last signature that he felt was ChiChi's. She was fine. Trunk's sight started to clear up and he was able to see straight. Something was wrong.

"Where are Rae and Goten?" He looked around and scanned for his two friends, but could get nothing. He was worried at first, but that subsided. They were an item, as he well knew. They might have gone of to be alone or something. But then after a moment that didn't make sense either. Rae was always the first one on the battle scene to help with the healing. Where was she now? Holding his head Trunks stood up and looked up to the ceiling as if it would give him answers. He noticed two things about it. One was it was in still upright. It was probably going to hold. Second was that it did give him answers. He knew exactly where they were. In an instant Trunks was out the window. The ceiling then fell, flipping so that it was facing up. On it was a message.

-If you want to see that goof and the traitor again you'll have to fight me. No help, no friends, just you and me, mono a mono. If you got the guts just follow my aura. I'm sure you can pick it up. I'm not hiding from anyone anymore. I'm going to finish this thing between you and me. If you don' show up, I'll be forced to take things out on your good friends here. Be a pal; face me and die. - 

Your Friend Always

Hunter

**********


	5. Triple Threat

Fusion…HA 2- The Dead Zone

Part 5- Triple Threat

"So are you going to show me the power of the legendary Super Saiyan?" mocked Android C. He was having the time of his life making fun of Vegeta. Seemed to have become a hobby for him. The Saiyan Prince didn't say anything to him; he was completely silent. "Come on, Vegeta. Show me your power."

Kaboom! C was thrown off his feet by the sudden surge of energy. In the air he struggled to keep his position. Vegeta's face turned up in a frown.

"You androids are the same; convinced of your superior power. Still you don't realize that the Saiya-jin are the most powerful race in the universe." He turned his hand palm up and made a claw. "I don't care what kind of data your creator has collected. He can't build what I possess."

"And what's that? A heart of gold? A warrior's spirit. The will to fight to the end?"

"… Power." A glowing blue ball popped out of Vegeta's gloved hand and floated over to C, almost crawling. Slightly amused by the attack Android C flicked it away. No sooner had he done that Vegeta flew at him and delivered a devastating knee to the robot's finger. The impact shattered it into a million pieces. No one was more shocked than Android C. The move had gone by so quickly that he hadn't even realized his finger was broken until his opponent was already standing back on his own two feet. After allowing the initial shock to subside his confidence returned.

"Lucky hit."

"Think so? Try me." Android C swiftly kicked Vegeta in the temple. That rocked the Saiyan to the side. Facing back to the android Vegeta was hit in the face with a massive blast of energy. He rocketed along the floor, C running along side him before going out in front. C cocked his foot back and readied himself for a huge kick.

"And he punts for 50 yards!" C's massive foot lodged itself in Vegeta's gut and tossed him through the air. On the attack C once again rocketed past the prince. Holding his hand out with his palm facing forward he caught Vegeta by the head as he whizzed by. He allowed his grip to slip slightly so that he could move his hold to the Saiyan's hair. Like a rag doll C dragged him to the ground at high speed. Just before impact Vegeta landed a solid punch to the inner arm, enabling him to get out of the hold. He flipped backward and landed hard on his feet. He ducked and head-high punches and delivered one of his own to the stomach.

"Never mock a Saiyan!" Vegeta spun around and missed with a kick to the back of the head. He leaned back to dodge another punch and grabbed the offensive limb. "Hope you won't be needing this." He jumped up and hit it with his right knee, then used his downward momentum to throw C into the Capsule Corp. He crashed to the ground somewhere on the other side. Vegeta flared up and flew over to the top of what was left of the building, passing right by Son Goku and Piccolo, who had their hands full with 17.

"17, listen to me," pleaded Goku. He blocked a kick and a punch, moving away from another combination before putting some distance between the two. "You don't want to do this. Don't let Dr. Boo use you!" 17 paid him no attention, firing a ki blast big enough to fry Goku and Piccolo at the same time.

"Move, Son!" Piccolo pushed Goku and himself out of the way of the blast with his shoulder. It exploded on the ground and made a crater. Thinking quickly he fired his Makankosappo, but 17 just shrugged it off. He connected home with a chop to the neck, stunning the Namek. 17 slapped Piccolo's right arm up and buried his elbow into the side. Before the Namek could use his arm to support his side 17 grabbed it and held it above his head while he moved behind Piccolo.

"You think I can't tell the difference. I would know if someone was trying to control me." 17 pulled harder, bending the joint to the breaking point. Piccolo let out a silent yell. "If I did find out who it was, I would kill him; you should know that by now."

"Then listen to me now, 17." Goku closed his eyes and powered down. He wanted to show 17 that he was no threat. Maybe then the android would listen. He could be just as stubborn as Vegeta sometimes. "Just a few seconds ago a man named Dr. Boo sent some sort of signal through the air, activating some sort of program in your brain. If you don't stop you'll hurt somebody."

"That's the idea. I think I'll start with your friend here." An evil grin was proceeded by a violent ripping sound and a horrible yell.

"No…" In 17's possession was the right arm of Piccolo, dangling and lifeless. The complete shock and horror on Piccolo's face could not be described. His mouth hung open, his good hand clutching the space that once was occupied by his fallen limb. 17 licked his lips in excitement and began to wonder if he should do it to the other. What need would the Namek have for one arm?

"You…should have finished the job." 17 was hit right in the back with a boot and bent him back in the wrong direction. Piccolo brought his left hand to the side to charge a ball of energy. 17 turned around and was blasted point blank range. The ball exploded and smoke spread everywhere. Taking this chance Piccolo backed up and began to focus on regenerating his arm. Goku floated over in front of him.

"He's determined to fight us. Whatever Dr. Boo has done to him is definitely working. Bulma still has a control to shut them off. Should we use it?"

"No." Piccolo and Goku looked above them as two people descended. One of them took the front position. "Let me fight him."

"But he doesn't know what he's doing right now. He's just in a mad rage. He may try to kill you."

"Kill me? His own sister?" 18 tossed the hair out of her face playfully. "I don't think he can do it. You don't have time to argue. You still have to find Videl. Go now while you still have the chance. I'll deal with brother here." Goku gave her a quick nod. She had already made up her mind. Besides, she could hold her own against her brother. Piccolo understood also. He placed a hand on Goku's shoulder, as did Bulma. Goku put his forefinger and middle finger on his forehead, searching for the ki signature of Videl. His face scrunched up and strained.

"What's wrong, Goku?"

"It's Videl's aura. It's… different. It feels more… my god!" Without another word Goku, Bulma and Piccolo teleported to the source of Videl's strange aura. 18 waited until the smoke had cleared from her brother's eyes to speak.

"So you've been slacking. Couldn't beat the Namek?"

"Dear 18, you don't know what you are dealing with. Don't think I won't hesitate to kill you. I have a mission. I must destroy Son Goku and all that ally themselves with him."

"And why is that?" she asked him bluntly, knowing that it was not his own thinking. "Did you forget that we no longer need to kill Son Goku? You haven't felt any reason to kill Goku until today. That doesn't seem the slightest bit strange to you, does it? Are you too stupid to realize you are being manipulated? You feel angry now. Wait until you find out exactly what is going on. That's when you'll really get mad."

"A touching story, 18, but not one that will help you in any way. I'll give you one last chance to stand down; you deserve at least that. If not I will have to destroy you without mercy." 18 didn't move an inch. She had to stop her brother or find some way to slow him down. The others would find some way to stop the thing that was controlling 17. In the mean time, she would fight. Not that the idea didn't seem kind of cool.

"If you think you are going to get to Goku, you're wrong 17. You won't get through me." 17 bowed and shook his head, clearly disappointed over her decision. In his right palm a ball of energy formed that was twice the size of his hand.

"This is what it has come down to, has it? Suit yourself. Don't say I was never there for you."

**********

The now familiar door to the laboratory of Dr. Boo opened once again. Entering was Android A, and he had prize. Over his shoulder was the limp body of Son Gohan. The demi-Saiyan was half awake but very groggy. He wasn't showing any signs of getting better; his body was still thrashed from the run in with b-chan's capsule. Android A angrily threw him into the same chair that Videl had been tied into. The unnecessary roughness had not gone unnoticed.

"A, is there something bothering you?" asked Boo.

"Son Gohan was injured before I had the chance to fight him in a one on one battle. His little friends were too easily fooled and defeated."

"Poor baby," mocked Devil. She sucked her teeth and waved a finger at him. "You shouldn't be so disappointed. Besides, if you had killed them all, what fun would I have?" Devil winked at A, who graciously bowed. 

"You are right, my lady. I should have thought it through." Dr. Boo was very happy to see that the two Androids were getting along so well. They would need that camaraderie when the enemy attacked.

"You've also forgotten another thing, A." Dr. Boo and Andrian looked at Devil with question written all over their faces. "Since they've probably figured out that I am here and that you've taken Son Gohan they are most likely on their way here now. You may get a chance to fight Goku." Adrian could begin to hide the glee in his face. He had missed a chance to fight Gohan, but his father had to come save him sometime; A would be waiting.

"You two should prepare. I will start the process on Son Gohan." Boo went to work on his computer while Devil and Android A went toward the exit.

Flash! There was a disturbance in the middle of the room. Three forms could be made out. Devil smirked and watched as Bulma, Goku, and Piccolo materialized in front of them. They hit the floor and backed up into each other, unsure of their whereabouts.

"Where are we…?" wondered Bulma out aloud, "and who is that?" She pointed to Android A standing behind Devil. Bulma's attitude became grateful when she saw Devil. "Videl! Are you okay?" She approached her friend with caution, watching the man behind her incase he made a move. Instead he backed away, hands in the air to show there was no sneak attack. Bulma put her hand on Devil' shoulder, smiling at her.

"Did I worry you?" asked Devil in a not-so-concerned tone.

"Yes. What happened?" Bulma glanced back over at Goku and Piccolo, who were looking at something totally different. A man at a computer console was typing away. Then he stopped. He turned to look at the group and locked eyes with Bulma. It was him. Goku felt the friction between the two, as did Piccolo.

"Bulma…"

"It's him. There's no mistake about it. It's Boo. Dr. Boo." She took a step toward him and then fell down to her knees. A sharp pain in the back of her neck had caused her to drop to her feet. Piccolo couldn't believe it. Goku was stunned. Devil stood, her left hand where Bulma's head had been. An evil grin crossed her face and she kicked Bulma's body across the room, into the Android's holding tubes.

"Videl!" exclaimed Goku. In an instant Android A was in front of him.

"You don't go anywhere near her until you face me." Goku growled deep, uncharacteristic for him, but A only laughed at that. "Dr. Boo, if you would."

"Of course, Adrian." Boo pressed a button on the console and the two fighters disappeared. Piccolo clenched his fists. He had seen enough. Now was the time to act.

"Dr. Boo! Bring them back now!"

"Piccolo, is it? I don't believe you are my boss. Why don't you tell me what you are going to do if I don't? I'm sure that will be a laugh." The anger Piccolo was feeling was unearthly. How dare such a pathetic excuse for a person mock him. He didn't even have a reasonable fighting power.

"Listen, Boo. I've had it with your games. Now bring back Goku and put the girl back to normal or I'll have to do some experimenting of my own." He motioned toward Boo as if he was going to step that way and Devil moved in front of him as expected.

"You don't touch the Doctor unless you kill me." Piccolo's eyes narrowed. He knew he couldn't kill her. That would be the worst thing he could do to Gohan. That didn't mean he was going to let her win. They had to stop Boo; that was the priority. Everything else was secondary.

"Don't worry, Piccolo. You don't have to get your hands dirty on this one." Bulma picked herself up on the other side of the room. "I think Videl and I have an understanding. She wants to fight, and I'm happy to be of service." Devil's aura started up after hearing that. Someone to fight. Android A wasn't the only one wanting some action.

"So, Bulma. Do you really think you can hit little ol' me?" She made the sweetest little puppy dog face she could. Bulma was not impressed.

WHAM! Devil caught one across the face.

"Yep. I do."

**********

"You will pay for killing me!" Buu jumped at his brother and missed with hi intended punch. Boo spun around with an elbow; Buu ducked it and hit him with an uppercut. Buu grabbed his foot, pulled him back down, and fired a shot right into his chest. Boo was knocked back and he tripped.

"Damn!"

"Ahhhhh!" Buu skidded along the floor and swept Boo off of his feet. Boo landed on his back but quickly hopped back up to his feet.

"It's not going to be that easy!!" Boo fired three energy balls at his brother. They were all dodged easily. Buu jammed his fist into the ground and it came up under Boo. IT smacked him under the chin, staggering him. Buu did the same with his other fist and it hit Boo in the back of the head. The two limbs continued to beat the life out of Boo. In the end they grabbed Boo's head and pulled him into the floor. He was pulled out right in front of this brother. A weak sarcastic smile was on Boo's face.

"What are you smiling about?"

"Are you done yet?" Buu gritted his teeth in fury. He formed a medium size ki ball and placed it in his brother's chest. It exploded and blasted Boo into the air. Buu took off after him and appeared behind. Making another shot, Buu blasted his brother in the back, sending him back down to Hell. Boo hit and made a huge hold in the ground. Buu came down charging and landed with a knee to Boo's gut.

"Die!!" Buu blasted Boo with a thousand ki balls at pointblank range. Boo absorbed them all and managed to get away. He stumbled to his feet and stood up as straight as he could.

"Don't… tell me you're done…"

"You bastard!!!" Buu rushed him and broke his fist though his brother's stomach. Without hesitation he used the same arm to smash his elbow into the back of Boo's neck, breaking it instantly. As Boo fell down to the ground Buu grabbed his left arm, stepped into it and twisted. It broke off and Boo hit the ground.

"You… are you…?" Buu snatched his brother's forelock and raised him up to eye level.

"Not yet." Buu let go of Boo and viciously attacked him with hard blows to every part of the body that could possibly hurt. Hundreds of shots at once left Boo a battered mess. A swift kick to the temple sent him flying again. Bu raised his right arm and started to create one of his planet destroying ki balls. Boo got up to his feet again, not bothering to move otherwise.

"Are… you… done… yet?"

"You killed me." Whispered Buu. His seething hatred began to boil over. "YOU KILLED ME!!!" He tossed the ball at his brother. Boo stood completely still and it hit him, blowing away a massive chunk of land. Rock mountains were toppled like dominoes and even the ground was left pebbleless. All the dust was vaporized in the blast. The only thing left was Boo. Amazingly he was only down to one knee, but he didn't look like he would be getting off of it. Buu took his time going over to his brother, enjoying the sight of carnage and pain he saw before him. Finally he reached him and knelt down beside him.

"…Are you done?" Buu nodded. "Good. It's time to destroy the fusion."

**********

Trunks used his sixth sense to scan the surrounding area. He had not followed Hunter's directions. They probably would have gotten him killed quickly. Instead he had locked on to Goten's ki signature. His reasoning, other than not trusting Hunter as far as he could throw the earth, was simple. If either Goten or Rae were in trouble and in need of medical attention, Rae could heal them. However, Hunter had most likely tied them up or restricted their movement somehow. If that was the case they could be in trouble if he didn't find them soon. Trunks' sense told him that he was close. The rocky area around them was familiar; it was the one Krillan and Gohan had told him Goku first fought Vegeta on. How perfect.

"Goten…there." He spotted the two on a tall rock structure, bound together by some kind of yellow rope. Trunks recognized it as an attack that was used by Gotenks. "He learned the Gallactica Donut. That's probably meant to mock me."

"You couldn't be more right." Trunks froze in place. He had let his mind wander and didn't feel Hunter sneaking up on him. Mistakes like that could cost him his life. He, however, was not dead. Instead he was face to face with the devil himself.

"Long time no see."

"Same here. I wouldn't have minded to see you dead, though. You wear the color of blood much better than your friends."

"… You didn't…" Trunks tried to look over his shoulder and keep tabs on Hunter at the same time, but it was proving to be pointless and fruitless.

"… I probably did. I make the rules here, Trunks, and if you want to live to fight me I suggest you abide by them. You were supposed to come to me. You get three minutes with the idiot and his traitor girlfriend. Then we fight. Comprende?" Trunks said nothing but went over to his friend. He could feel Hunter's power and wasn't sure if all of it was being used. Hunter might not be at full power right now. The worst part was that his current level was almost up to that of Trunks', making Trunks wonder just how much stronger he might actually be.

"Trunks…" Goten said in a barely audible voice. Trunks moved in and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Goten, are you okay?"

"He's fine, Trunks," said Rae from behind Goten. "He just took a couple of hits when he woke up. I think he's woozy from the blast back at Capsule Corporation." Trunks nodded, agreeing with her. The blast had been strong; Trunks was lucky he was okay. He could have easily been Goten… so why wasn't he?

"It was Hunter."

"What?"

"Hunter made sure that I didn't get hurt in the blast. It's all part of his plan. He wants me and me alone. No Gotenks, no Goten, and no Rae. One on one he wants to kill me… and I still don't know why. What does Dr. Boo have against me?"

"I don't know. Doesn't he have something against everybody?"

"Probably, but he sure went out of his way to make sure that I was out of the way. Why?"

"I don't know, Trunks, but I think you should get ready to battle. Hunter may attack at any moment." Once again Trunks nodded. Rae was right. He couldn't trust Hunter to give him the full three minutes. Goten and Rae were okay, but there was no way to free them before he was assaulted. Trunks was on his own.

"Alright, Rae. Sit tight and don't draw any attention to yourself. I'm going to try to get him as far away from here as possible. He can't control this thing from too far, so when it weakens you and Goten will have to break it." 

"Okay, Trunks. Good luck." Trunks turned to Goten, smiled, and gave him a thumbs up sign. Goten glanced at him, letting him know he understood. With that Trunks flew back over to Hunter.

"I trust your family reunion was memorable. It will be the last, you know. This is your gravesite Trunks, lonely and desolate. That's exactly what you deserve."

"How did you manage to stay alive? Goten and I killed you years ago. What the hell happened?" Hunter laughed, showing complete disregard for Trunks.

"If you expect me to tell you anything then you'll just have to beat it out of me. To be completely honest I don't think that you can. I have plenty of secrets in me that you probably wouldn't like, and a few that I don't. That sentiment aside, I think it's time to kill you. Yep, sounds good to me."

"I don't think so!" Trunks was right in front of Hunter in no time. He landed a hook to the left cheek and hit with another to the right. Trunks threw over a hundred punches to Hunter's stomach, and then hit him with an uppercut. All of Hunter's blocks were over a second late. Trunks grabbed Hunter's head and rammed it into his knee with all the force possible. Hunter jerked back, but couldn't escape. Trunks introduced Hunter's head to his knee once again, adding even more force. He kept doing so, releasing all of his anger on him. Hunter pushed himself out of Trunks grip just as he was about to get his 12th knee to the face. There was no mistaking the look of shock on his face. Trunks' ki was flaring out of control, nearly blinding him with bright white light.

"Damn! What power!" Hunter had no more time to talk with Trunks' fist in his face again. Almost as soon as that hit Trunks fired a blast that tore off Hunter's left arm. It grew back almost instantly.

"Nani?!" Trunks confusion cost him. Hunter took advantage by jabbing him in the stomach. With Trunks bent over Hunter grabbed him by the head and dived down to the ground. He slammed Trunks face first and jumped away, firing a steam of ki energy at him. Trunks dived out of the way just before the ground detonated under him. Hunter shot down at him and caught a kick to the chin. His head snapped back, stunning him. Trunks kicked him in the chest, but his foot was caught. Hunter smirked.

"Nice moves, Trunks, but you aren't that good. You're fooling yourself. You can't beat me!"

"The hell I can't!" Trunks positioned his free foot on Hunter's hand and twisted around. His other foot popped free and he landed with his back to Hunter. The Buu-droid hit him in the back with an elbow, spun around, and clotheslined him to the ground. Trunks landed flat on his back and hit Hunter with an energy ball to the face, then rolled away when Hunter stomped down blindly with his boot. Trunks swept Hunter's feet and flew into the air, cupping his hands at the side.

"Damn!" Hunter had barely enough time to get to his feet.

"Kamehame-HA!" The beam discharged from Trunks' hands at Hunter.

"Vulcan Eraser!" Hunter's beam met Trunks half the distance between them and erupted in a small explosion when they clashed. The battle was on.

"You won't win, Hunter! I won't let you!"

"What are you going to do about it, Trunks?!" Hunter strained but was able to pour even more ki into the blast. It slowly moved the head of the beam toward Trunks. Sweat dropped down Trunks' face.

"This; Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" The familiar yellow waves encircled Trunks and whipped his hair upward and changed it to a bright gold. The wave of energy carried itself into his beam and immediately pushed Hunter's all the way back. Just before it hit Hunter mustered up another burst of his own, evening the two out at the middle again. Trunks once again was surprised.

"You aren't the only one who can raise their power significantly." A red aura was now forming around Hunter; it's power pouring into his beam. It went bright red and the beam stopped. Unblocked Trunk's energy rushed him. Hunter flew up to it and punched it downward at an angle. Trunks broke the beam just in time to block a punch to his face. The two fighters both went for a right fist to the face and their fists clashed. Sparks flew around their eyes, but neither one dared to blink.

"You shouldn't have come back; I won't make the same mistake I did before." Trunks moved his hand and caught Hunter's so that he now had Hunter's hands pinned against his own chest in an 'X'. Hunter smiled.

"You just did." Trunks eyes opened wide as he realized what he had done. There was nothing he could do now; it was too late.

"Hell Flash!"

**********

Vegeta was toying with him now. Android C had nearly exhausted his power supply. Vegeta wasn't even breaking a sweat. The fight was to the point that Vegeta was at half his normal power. It wasn't even a match. What was worse was the fact that Vegeta knew there was nothing he could learn from the Android. He had already tried. It was possible that he might be able to salvage the head for Bulma to hack into, but other than that the robot was garbage. Vegeta didn't even glance at him because he was so disgusted.

"You're a pathetic excuse for anything." The android breathed hard, clutching his chest even though he didn't need to breathe. He had been created with out the need for breath, but Dr. Boo had gone for a lifelike model. That and the fact that there were sparks coming out from the hole where Vegeta had ripped the android's power source out. C didn't even have enough energy to make a witty comeback. He was finished and he knew it.

"…"

"I call this place home; I welcome you to hell." Vegeta fired a Big Bang Attack, not even really trying. It completely destroyed the robotic form. He was left with a completely unsatisfied feeling. "There must be someone stronger… Kakarotto left in a hurry. I'll just follow his ki until I find something worth fighting." Vegeta flew into the air and left to find a fight.

**********

"You don't seem so confident anymore, Boo?" snarled Piccolo. He was tossing a piece of metal in his hand that he had ripped out of one of the various machines in the laboratory. Piccolo had no idea what it was, but he had proved his point; Boo could do nothing. His warriors, Android A and Devil, were busy with fights of their own. Dr. Boo was left vulnerable, and Piccolo was going to make sure he paid.

"You can't hurt me. Your code of honor won't allow it." Piccolo raised his hand and shot a low-level ball that hit Dr. Boo in the shoulder. The pain brought him to his feet immediately.

"…You have no honor and therefore deserve no mercy. Now restore the girl and you might live through this." Dr. Boo, still clutching his shoulder, rose to his feet. He keyed in a few buttons on his computer. Piccolo watched intently.

"There. It is done."

KABOOM! The suddenness of it overtook all of Piccolo's senses. He hadn't totally trusted the Doctor and was ready for him to try to double cross him. That had happened, but not in any way Piccolo could have predicted. The body of the Doctor had actually exploded showing metal parts scatter. Piccolo didn't know what to think because he was having a very hard time focusing. One thought did shine through all the clout, though_. Is Dr. Boo an Android himself?_

"So, Piccolo," echoed the familiar voice. "You are as stupid as you are green. Oh, I can see the veins ready to pop out of your head. It's quite comical." Piccolo did indeed look like he was ready to burst. He should have realized that the other was a decoy. He seemed much to eager to help. Piccolo also blamed himself for being stupid enough to let him go to the computer. The Kami side of him was to blame for that, believing to give him a chance.

"Where are you? Face me!"

"What is the matter, Piccolo? Are you upset that you can't find me, or that I made you look like a fool? Tell me. What makes you think that you will ever find me?" Piccolo started to snap at that moment, but then an utter rush of calmness overcame him. It all made sense; there was no reason to get mad. Instead of rage there was a confident smirk. He had a foolproof idea.

"If you don't come to me, then I'll just tear down all of your toys until you show up." The silence that ensued gave Piccolo his reply. Dr. Boo might not have accounted for that. Piccolo raised his hand and pointed it at the largest computer in the room.

"What are you doing?!"

"Seeing as how it is the largest and most complex computer in this room it must be the most important. Why take over the world with a rat when you can use a dragon?" A small ball of ki formed in his hands, pulsating with destructive force. "So what is it going to be. Show yourself or let your lab be destroyed? I don't care which you choose, but you only have 3 seconds."

"You'll never destroy my lab." Piccolo paused for a minute and then closed his hand around the energy, dissipating it. He placed his hand flat on his face, giving a look of defeat and tiredness.

"Giving up already?"

"Hardly." From his head the hand rose. All of the fingers on his head rose except the middle and the index. Energy sparked tirelessly from them, reaching out to the sky and ground. "I'm sure you've probably found someway to shield your computers from ki, but you can't block this."

"Don't you dare touch her, you fool! She's mine!"

"She's about to need repairs. Makkankosappo!!!" A corkscrew-like beam emitted from his fingers and charged at the CPU. As expected it did find a shield of sorts. It was like a green coating a few inches in front of the console. However, as predicted the energy screw had no problem burrowing through it. The beam struck the left side of the CPU and blew up. Smoke managed to escape the small hole, but the shield kept most of the blast inside of itself.

"ASPA!!!" The scream sounded more like a wounded animal trying to plead for life than a scientist worried about his inventions. Piccolo had picked up on that. However, he was never more shocked than when a secret panel opened in the wall and Dr. Boo ran in. It was painfully apparent that it was the Doctor, but after all the Piccolo was ready to do to him he just came out. What was so important about that piece of scrap metal? Dr. Boo ran over to the computer as fast as his legs would carry him. The shield was down now and he was right in front of the wreckage. Tears were actually streaming down his face, as if something dear had been taken from him.

"So the Doctor has feelings. What a waste. If you cared about the lives-"

"SHUT UP, NAMEK! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT PRECIOUS A LIFE YOU HAVE JUST TAKEN AWAY FROM ME!" The Doctor eagerly fished out the remains of CPU and tossed them aside. Piccolo let the comment sink in and decided not to stop him. Dr. Boo was talking and acting irrationally; he wasn't a major threat for the moment. Piccolo could only wait to see exactly what it was the Boo would find in the remains. Then he would act.

**********

Emotion seemed to be as far away from this fight as Namek was. Neither 17 or 18 would show what they were really thinking, although 17 was putting on the face that he was enjoying it.

"You know we can fight forever, sis." He punched her and fired a blast that threw her to the ground. He dived down to the ground and hit her with an elbow to the stomach. All the air rushed out of 18's body, but that didn't stop from lodging her foot in his stomach and throwing him off. 18 was to her feet in no time and firing a volley of energy at her brother. He dodged them nimbly, almost trying to make her look like a fool when he did it. 18's eye twitched ever so slightly.

"Let's see you dodge this." 18 raised her hands over here head with the palms pointing up. A large mass of energy collected and formed. 18 lowered her hands down to her torso, facing outward still, and released the energy at 17. He seemed disappointed with the attack.

"Is that the best you can do?" He grabbed the ball with one hand and tossed it aside like it were a small stone. That's when 18 appeared right in front of him and said something unlike herself that was meant to piss her brother off.

"Smack my bitch up!"

WHAM! 

17 was nailed with a massive backhanded smack (yes, a smack) that put a red mark on his cheek and twirled him around in a circlet to his left. Woozy, he made a complete circle around until he was once again facing his sister, this time with a far away look in his eyes. He was completely embarrassed and looked like a fool. 17 knew for sure that nothing like that would happen again…

WHAM!

18 backhanded her brother yet again, this time to the right. The impact was just as hard and loud as the first. 17 twisted on one foot, fumbling to keep his balance. He made a complete turn again and tried to hit 18 with a sucker punch, but she slapped it away. 17's momentum carried him across 18's body and drove him right into a vicious elbow that floored him. 17 leaned on his own elbows to get some leverage off of the floor. The blow to the face had hurt him physically, but not as much as the two slaps had done in his pride. Nothing was as bad, though, as when she turned her back to him.

"Had enough?" 17 jumped to his feet and 18 faced him once again.

"No." 17 opened the palm of his left hand and began to fire. The numerous blasts were small but fast. 18 took off in the opposite direction, no intention on dodging yet. Then she flew up into the air and returned fire. 17 ran under it and jumped up at her, hitting her in the stomach. 18's gut felt like a vacuum. 17 floated by her, smiling the whole time as if he were taking a walk in the park. Just as he passed her he stopped and reached back, grabbing a handful of her hair. Slowly 17 pulled his sister forward, making sure it was as unpleasant as possible. 18's mouth was still gasping for air that never seemed to come.

"…Baka…" 17 tightened his grip, sending streaks of pain through every one of the hairs that he had a hold of.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" His hand clasped around her jaw with crushing force, triggering a reflex to open it. 18 barely managed to speak through all of the agony.

"I said BAKA!" She swung her right arm up and broke the hold. Then she came across with a left. 17 caught the fist in his right hand. He moved his arm across to his left, pulling 18 with it. 17 twisted his upper torso toward her and nailed a rock hard knee to his sister's stomach. Not waiting for a reaction 17 locked his fingers together in a tight ball and whacked 18 on the back of the neck. She tumbled to the ground without much movement, hitting the pavement and creating a large hole. Upon closer inspection 17 could see that 18 had somehow bounced and turned over so that she was now face up. When she began to stir and pick her thrashed body out of the pit 17 started clapping.

"She still has some fight left in her." 17 had to eat a kick to the chin for that remark. 18 had moved so fast that she snapped his head backward and kept going until she was behind him. 17 swung around and missed a punch over 18's shoulder. 18 elbowed him in the stomach to get the right angle. After that she grabbed his arm and almost fired him toward the ground. 17 connected just outside the range of 18's crater and made a completely new one. The dust swept across the ground, but made no attempt to go into the air. 18 floated backward a bit to avoid a sneak attack from the crash site.

"Get it through your head, 17! You are being controlled!" She opened her hands and positioned them with the site set on the crater. If he was going to attack she was ready. _This damn fool won't listen to reason. Bulma had better deactivate whatever it is that is controlling him._ "What?!" 18 had been lost her concentration and hadn't heard her brother sneaking up on her. In this case she was lucky as she dodged the attack that would have almost certainly killed her. Capsule Corporation wasn't as lucky, though, and it was blown to the place buildings go when they die.

"If you don't stay on your feet, sis, I'm going to rip a hole through you!" 17 through a flurry of punches. 18 quickly blocked them all, but was unable to counter. 17 changed up with a kick to the forehead and 18's head whipped the side. 17 delivered a roundhouse kick to her nose. 18 bore through the ground like a screw, going nearly a half-mile before stopping herself. Now she was really pissed. This wasn't about stopping her brother anymore. 18 had no intention on trying to kill him, but the battle was about to go up to another level. 18 ripped off the remains (if they could be called that) of her jean dress, leaving the black tank top over the striped shirt and the blue jean pants. 18 stared up at the bright hole that led to the surface. It looked like no more than a needlepoint, but she knew exactly where her brother was in respect to the opening. He would probably expect a sneak attack. Was he in for a surprise or what?

**********

The dimension closed behind the two demons. They had finally made it. After so many years, one in hell and the other in a void, they had made it to the world of the living. For Boo it was freedom. Buu was slightly more restricted; that fact that he was dead did mean that he would need to be more careful, but in all actuality there wasn't a lot to worry about. The fusion would fall against the two of them. But that would have to wait for a while. They didn't want to jump right into battle. As soon as they stepped through the portal they had hidden their power level. Detection now would ruin the fun.

"So what do we destroy first?" asked Buu, still looking around. They had appeared over a city that seemed to be vacant. Buu badly wanted to kill someone, but not a soul was in sight.

"Patience, brother. First we find out exactly where the fighters are. Then we can make our move." Boo's ear caught a sound that resembled energy pulsating. He moved in the direction of the sound and sure enough there was a huge energy ball coming from the ground. It was aimed at a figure in the sky that didn't seem able to avoid it. Yet another figure exploded from the ground and attacked. Boo recognized them as the Androids 17 and 18. Buu noticed them as well.

"So they are here as well. Didn't you say they were brother and sister?"

"They are. The reason for their fight is inconsequential. I have an idea."

"You want to absorb them? That's not a surprise."

"No, brother," stated Boo. "I have no interest in absorbing them. Instead we can make this a little bit more fun." Buu thought about his brother's words for a moment before realizing exactly what his plan was. The psychotic grin that he wore so well again appeared on his face. This would make things much more fun. It would allow them to get closer to the fusion as well. When they did… it was over. Boo and Buu made their way over to the Android battle, evil intentions in mind.


	6. Evil Intentions

Fusion…HA! 2- The Dead Zone

Part 6- Evil Intentions

It was very apparent that Bulma had underestimated Videl's skill.

Crash! Her body crashed into a reinforced wall, probably just in case something like a battle between two super powers took place inside. If there was one thing Videl (or Devil, as she had tried to beat into Bulma's head) had taught her in their short battle it was that she was not a super power. Far from it.

"Damn!" Bulma was blocking a punch that was threatening to un-beautify her face. Although she had her defense up, both arms crossing over the intended target, Devil's strength was more than apparent. She was forcing Bulma back against the wall, trying to crush the Saiyan body into mush. Bulma wasn't about to give up yet. She still had a few tricks up her sleeve.

"Come now, Bulma. I know you can fight as a Super Saiyan with those wonderful bands of yours. Just change so that we can start the real fight."

"I was thinking the same thing!" In an instant Bulma was surrounded by the powerful energy of the Super Saiyan. Devil was right; it was time to start the real fight. The newest android was thrown back by the surge. Bulma moved forward, taking small steps and purposely taking her time getting to her opponent. She had been training more in the last couple of years and had learned to keep her emotions in check. Rushing into a battle against an unknown foe could be disastrous. In this case it was even worse. Videl's power was definitely increased during her 'transformation' into Devil, but how much was still a mystery. In this case Bulma was going to have to let the fight come to her… Devil would more than oblige.

Devil stood without a care in the world. Her eyes never left the Super Saiyan, but it was more of an arrogant stare. Her left hand rested on her waist while her right was extended to the sky. In it was the beginning of a ki energy ball, but how large was still unknown.

"So Bulma, why don't you attack? Afraid because you don't know how strong I am? Is that it? You always have to know all of the facts. Now that you don't you can't do a thing. Well I'll help you out. This right here is going to kill you. That's how big it's going to get. Don't believe me? Just wait then and see. You won't be able to stop it."

"I'll stop you, Videl." Bulma clenched her fist and reared back. She wanted to make sure this one was going to hurt.

KABOOM! Devil went so fast that she drilled through the wall behind her and ended up in another room.

_Guess those walls aren't as strong as they were made out to be._ Bulma started to follow her in to see how much real damage was done by the attack when two very unnerving things stopped her. The first was the ball of energy that Devil had been collecting. Although the creator had been separated from it, the ball was still growing. It was as if it had been set on automatic pilot. Bulma knew that if it had gone this far it would probably keep going until it reached the 'death' point. Of course if Devil was defeated and returned to normal…

That was only half the problem. There was something else even more shocking than that, and Piccolo seemed to be the cause. The computer that he had destroyed was now little less than rubble. The shield had long died away and was allowing the smoke to disperse freely. Piccolo had readied himself for the next target in the laboratory when something in the wreckage caught his attention. It looked to be somewhere in between 5 and 6 feet long. The weird part was that it looked almost…no, it was… human.

"Oh Kami…" were the only words to escape Bulma before she lost all of the air in her lungs, not from any attack but from the horrible shock she received upon viewing the motionless form that was undoubtedly a human female. But then again, if she was human that why did she have that tail…? Bulma pondered this as Dr. Boo tended to the woman, holding her close and begging her not to die. Piccolo was taken back by the entire scene. The woman looked genuinely hurt, but he still wondered if the Doctor had any more tricks up his sleeve. He was still in a defensive position just in case.

"Aspa! Aspa!" yelled the Doctor, his face full of torment. She wasn't supposed to suffer like this. He had built the computer so that she could live and be a part of his life as never before. For Doctor Boo the computer had always been his wife, even if the other Androids didn't know.

"…Doctor?" Her head stirred just a little bit, but that was enough to bring a wave of relief over the tense body of Doctor Boo. He had been so worried, but that wasn't about to stop; she had to get medical attention that he was not able to provide in his lab. Aspa was going to have to be transported to a nearby hospital... that is if Boo could somehow convince Piccolo to allow him to leave.

"Aspa, you are hurt. I have to bring you to receive professional help. I will not fail you." Dr. Boo very carefully laid his wife's head on the ground so that it was not on any of the debris. Then, in a moment of supreme courage, he stormed over to Piccolo and stood face to face, toe to toe with the Namek. The expression on his face said it all. He meant business.

"You want me to let you take her." Piccolo was no fool. Watching the entire thing unfold he could easily guess what Boo was going to ask. They didn't have any senzu or Piccolo would give one to Aspa in a heartbeat. She was innocent most likely and she didn't deserve to be punished as she was. Piccolo had made a mistake and wasn't going to worsen it by not allowing the girl medical attention.

"I want her to survive. Is that too much to ask? You can try to capture me or fight me or whatever it is you planned on doing later. Right now all that matters to me is her." Piccolo was quite impressed. Dr. Boo knew very well that Piccolo could easily break his neck and destroy all of the rest of his lab, much as was originally planned. Still he stood up to the Namek for what seemed to be a noble cause. Piccolo could see no reason to keep him from going. They could always track him down again… or follow him.

"…" Piccolo closed his eyes and did a 180, turning his back to the Doctor so that he could pass without problem. Dr. Boo ran back over to Aspa and tried to pick her up. Doing so he realized one thing; he wasn't going to be able carry her to the docking bay where his vehicle was stationed. Despite the fact that Piccolo and Bulma were most likely going to object he still had to do what he had to do.

"Devil! Come here." From the hole in the wall she emerged, looking almost rested. Bulma watched intently, knowing what the new Videl was capable of since having a small taste of it. Then again, if Boo had control over her then she probably would not disobey his order in anyway. Still Bulma wished for his control to be broken.

"Boo, when this is-"

"Mrs. Briefs, I am well aware of what you are going to say and you might as well not. I realize I have a debt to pay and when I am sure that my wife is taken care of I will relinquish her from my control." Devil picked up the limp body of Aspa, whom Piccolo and Bulma finally had a good look at. She seemed frozen in time; her age definitely wasn't that of her husbands. Aspa's features were young and her hair long flowing black. She wore what resembled a red one-piece swimsuit, chosen obviously for the ease of hooking the body up into the computer initially. Most of the wires were probably put on her wrists, ankles and head. The clothing didn't reach that far. Whatever the reason for the choice they were there. Videl and Boo exited the room through yet another secret panel on the wall. It closed behind them, leaving Piccolo and Bulma there to figure out what to do. Bulma powered down from Super Saiyan and deactivated her Guards.

"So do you really think that he is going to release Videl on his own?" she asked inquisitively.

"I don't know. He must have some sort of plan. Boo doesn't seem like the kind to give up easily, but for right now I think that it is safe to say that he is going to take his wife as far away from here as possible. He won't try anything for a while. As far as Videl goes we won't be able to do anything about her for a while, but if Goku defeats the other android we should be able to convince Dr. Boo to release her."

"Maybe. Speaking of Goku, where is he right now?"

"Can't you sense him with your power?"

"I just took my power off, Piccolo. I can't sense anything right now."

"…Right. It seems that Dr. Boo didn't actually move the two of them that far. They are right below us. Now that I'm concentrating enough I can just barely feel Son's energy through the floor. There must be a ki dampening device somewhere around here."

"Ki dampening, huh?" Piccolo glanced over his shoulder at Bulma, who was staring at the floor in her Saiyan form. "It may block the waves that are read by the mind as ki signatures, but is it strong enough to block a blast?" Now Piccolo was smiling.

_This girl has some fight in her after all._ They wordlessly levitated to a safe height and gathered what was thought to be the necessary energy. Then they both stopped. Piccolo sixth sense went out of control, pointing him toward a point on the wall. What he detected was in that direction.

"What the hell?!"

**********

Trunks was lucky. Hunter's Hell Flash could have done some serious damage, but instead it pushed him back out of most of the blast radius before it detonated. After all he had been through with Hunter, Trunks knew almost immediately that he was being toyed with again. Hunter was confident and that left Trunks wondering exactly how powerful Hunter had (or believed he had) become. He was most likely going to find out soon. That was fine. He had improved greatly himself.

"So you are still alive, Trunks. That's always nice to know. Guess I can torture you a little bit more." Hunter landed on the ground just in front of Trunks.

"You never meant to kill me with that blast. You are still just playing around, acting as if you have the upper hand. Well you don't and I'll show you." His Super Saiyan aura started flaring around him. "You don't understand yet, do you Hunter? I am stronger than I've ever been. You have gained some energy since the last time we battled, but I've been training. I never thought I'd see your ugly face again, but I'm glad I did. Before you had your chance to beat me. You tried but you didn't kill me. Now I'm going to beat you. This time it ends the way it's supposed to!"

"No, Trunks. You don't understand. There are things about me that you can't begin to comprehend. I can see that you have raised you're fighting power greatly. To tell you the truth I am excited. The last time I fought you it was a disappointment. Didn't you wonder why I toyed with you so much? What kind of hunt is it if you kill the prey the first time you see it? You were just a pawn in a game, Trunks. However you are all grown up now. You are stronger and faster. That means I don't have to baby you anymore. You and I, we will have our final battle right now. I will win; you will lose. It doesn't get complicated this time. You've met your match, Trunksy!" Hunter aimed a roundhouse kick at Trunks' head. Trunks ducked it and returned with one of his own. Hunter blocked the foot and quickly grabbed it. He used it to throw Trunks across the floor. The Saiyan didn't go far. Skidding along on his back he jumped back to his feet quickly. Trunks immediately charged at Hunter, flexing his arms at his sides and holding two balls of energy in them.

"Haaaaaaa!" Trunks threw one high and one low, hoping to trick Hunter into one of them…instead Hunter jumped in the space in between without being touched. The gleam in his eye was unmistakable. This was fun.

"Oops!" he yelled dramatically as he somersaulted and kicked Trunks in the head, flooring him. This time Trunks was slightly slower getting up. He was more upset than anything. He was still making too many mistakes. At this rate Hunter was going to wipe the floor with him. For obvious reasons Trunks couldn't let that happen.

_I have to get a hold of myself. Concentrate like father has taught me. If I am thinking of nothing but the fight I can win._ Trunks braced himself on one knee as he pushed himself to his feet. He dusted off his gi stretched out his arms a bit. Hunter pointed one finger in the air and a small bubble of energy appeared.

"Dance, boy!" He moved his finger downward and the bubble flew at Trunks. As soon as he did that he made another and did the same. Before the first had arrived at its destination there were more than ten behind it. Trunks readily dodged each of them as if they were moving in slow motion. Hunter couldn't believe the speed he was moving at. Try as he might he couldn't hit the nimble target and ended up catching a fist on the chin. He stumbled back as Trunks laid into his with rights and lefts to his upper torso. Trunks placed his hands on Hunter's chest and blew him away with a ki ball. Firing up his aura Trunks blasted off past Hunter and moved behind him.

"It's a Hunter sandwich!" Trunks rammed into Hunter's back with a vicious shoulder block that caused the ball of ki to explode on them both. Fire and smoke circled around everywhere, showing no sign of the two combatants. Rae took this chance to plan her escape. She had been monitoring the battle between Trunks and Hunter the entire time, but more so she was watching the power level of Hunter. It fluctuated at times and at the same time the energy trapping her and Goten was doing the same thing. Now that he was weakened, even if just briefly, they could escape.

"Goten!"

"I'm awake!" he replied. His head had finally cleared.

"Goten. You have to break this ring while Hunter is weak. If you don't when he regains consciousness it'll get strong again. Goten, hurry up!"

"Okay! Calm down. Give me a second!" Goten closed his eyes and concentrated. He was still a little weak, but if he managed to go to Super Saiyan level he could easily break the ring and then give Trunks a hand in the battle. His slight lack of training was evident. Goten never really was a fight, but instead stepped up to the plate when his assistance was needed. Whenever Gotenks was formed Goten was always able to squeeze out that last bit of power that would give the fusion a huge boost in energy. That's what Goten was reaching for now. With it he would hit the limit of his normal power and push it to Super Saiyan level. Rae knew it was working when she felt the ring around them vibrating back and forth as if in its own localized earthquake. There were also quick sparks of light showing past her that meant Goten was donning his yellow hair that was the trademark of the SSJ.

"Are you done yet?" No sooner had she asked then the ring that had been binding them extended to the breaking point, shattering into pieces and dissolving away before her very eyes.

"Yep." Goten was hovering in front of her, hand held out to assist his friend. Rae took it and hopped into the air.

"The smoke is clearing. Look." Goten turned around and watched the sight as Rae was. The explosion had been massive and had finally subsided. The smoke and dust had done so as well, leaving the playing field clear again. Burn marks could be found everywhere on the ground. The two fighters, Hunter and Trunks, however didn't have a scratch between them. Neither Goten nor Rae could believe it. On one hand Trunks was all right, which was good. On the other hand Hunter didn't seem to be phased by the attack at all. It was possible that he was hiding the pain, but then again it was possible that Trunks' attack just was strong enough. That was a scary thought.

"Trunks!" yelled Goten, not caring that Hunter would hear him. "Hurry up and we can fuse!" Hunter shot Goten a glance that would scare the dead, but Goten didn't budge. He figured that if they could manage the fusion Hunter could give him all the looks he wanted… while he was getting his head handed to him on a silver platter.

"Goten, listen to me very carefully." Trunks kept his sight always on Hunter, but his voice was directed at his two friends. They meant the world to him, which is why he didn't want them anywhere near this battlefield. "You two must leave now."

"Trun-"

"No questions, Goten. I have to do this alone." 

"Don't let him fool you, Trunks," yelled Rae. "He wants to fight you alone so that he can kill you. He doesn't want to fight Gotenks again. He's doing the same thing to you that he did before. Remember, Trunks?" There was silence as a gust of wind ripped past them all. It was an eerie silence. "Trunks?"

"I know what he tried to do to me before, Rae. Back then you were right. I couldn't beat him. He was too strong and we did have to fuse…but now that's not the case." Anger lit up the face of Hunter, who realized now that Trunks truly thought he was stronger than he was. It was a slap in the face of his own pride, in which he always believed he was the strongest non-fusion. If you have to combine with another person you don't deserve to win.

"You are not stronger than me, Saiyan! I'll prove it again!"

"Are you sure about that, Hunter?" The simplicity of the question and the demeanor in which Trunks was acting dealt another blow to Hunter's pride. He seemed to awful confident, perhaps too confident. He might be making a bigger mistake than Hunter had originally thought. Once again the smile came back to his face. Trunks wasn't in control here. He was, and he was going to win easily.

"Rae," said Goten as he tugged on her shirt. "Let's get out of here right now. I think Trunks knows what he is doing. We should do what he asks."  


"Goten?" Rae didn't want to leave because if Trunks was hurt no one could heal him. He would have to go the entire battle against a Buu-droid bent on killing him. The more she thought about it the less sense it made. Then, in a flash, it all came to her. That was Trunks idea. This battle was about pride for him as well. Hunter believed himself superior, so Trunks was willing to prove him wrong. Plus the fact that Trunks truly did not stand a chance in the first fight. Hunter would have won if not for outside intervention. That had to be rectified. Trunks would have to face Hunter one on one in a battle to prove himself. Then there was another underlying theme. Trunks had to prove something to his father, to whom pride and honor ranked high. There is no honor in getting help. Vegeta would only fuse if there were no other way, and even then Goku would have to convince him. Trunks was too quick to fuse, and that wouldn't gain him any points with his father. Trunks desperately wanted to have his father happy about some accomplishment of his as far as fighting. Trunks was strong and had reached Super Saiyan level, but that was more so because his father had done so. Trunks needed more than that. He had never had a rival. His future self had the androids, but the present Trunks was only one year old when that was happening. He couldn't fight them at the time. Now he had a rival that was willing to kill him (not that he wanted to die) and he could prove himself against that. Defeating this rival that was stronger would be great for him and earn him respect from his father. Rae understood that and left with Goten without another word. They were out of sight before another word was spoken.

"So the peanut gallery finally left? I'm very happy about that, Trunks." The smile on Hunter's face disappeared, though, when Trunks began to smirk. "What the hell are you happy about, Saiyan? Your backup just left. What could you possibly gain from that?"

"You don't understand, Hunter. If you had thought it through you might have tried to keep them around."  
Hunter was genuinely confused now. He thought he had Trunks completely figured out, but he had obviously missed some detail that was now rising to the surface.

"Then let me in on the secret, Trunks. What did I miss?"

"It's simple, Hunter. We've been battling, but I haven't even been at full Super Saiyan power."

"Because you can't. I know that as well as you." Hunter could feel the urge to smack himself for worrying. Trunks was bluffing as usual.

"Wrong. I can, but because of the condition you left my friend in I didn't want to risk hurting him. You see, Hunter. You haven't been fighting the true me." The air in Hunter's throat seemed to be stuck. He didn't need to breathe, but he still was panicking. What Trunks said made sense, but Hunter's worry was exactly how much energy the Saiyan had been concealing? What was the extent of his power? He was about to find out because Trunks had already started raising it from his original fighting power. Hunter wanted to attack, but the constant waves of ki would have kept him from getting too close. All he could do was sit and watch, and he didn't like what he was seeing. Trunks was at Super Saiyan level, but he was much stronger than he was supposed to be. His power level was going into the stratosphere. It was…approaching his. Trunks had managed to raise his power to the point that it was equal to Hunter's. Now what had always been a game was going to become a real dogfight. Thinking about it, Hunter knew that's what he always wanted anyway.

"So you have raised your power to rival my own. That's quite an accomplishment. I guess that means I can't play with the prey anymore." Trunks shook his head. Hunter thought it was funny. "I guess I always knew that you could do it, Trunks. I'm glad you did. Now we really can have a real fight."

"No. We can have our last. I don't plan on letting you leave here, Hunter." The sudden murderous tone was a little weak, but it got its point across. Still Hunter didn't believe him.

"You would kill me? If you were your father I would believe you, but you are more like Goten's father. You wouldn't kill me if you didn't have to. You only want to prove yourself." Trunks was surprised by that remark, as Hunter knew he would be. "Oh, Trunks. You didn't think I could figure out why you stayed by yourself. You want to prove to dear ol' dad that you can fight your own battles. Well don't let me frighten you too much but if I had to I could kick dear ol' dad's ass!"

"You could not defeat my father!"

"You sure about that, Trunksy? Maybe I'll go try right now." Hunter acted like he was getting ready to leave. Trunks bought it and reacted, blasting off in a fit a fury.

"You aren't going anywhere, Hunter! You and me have unfinished business! This time I'm going to beat you!"

*********

Krillan rubbed his head. That explosion had hurt him a lot, but he was okay now. He had helped ChiChi to her feet. She was still was still very woozy, even after putting on the Saiyan Guards. The rubble around them was unbelievable. Someone had actually destroyed the building while they were in it. Krillan slung ChiChi over his shoulder and moved away from the blast sight. The last thing he need was to get hit by another huge energy ball. He had to get ChiChi to safety. Just as he cleared the last bit of rubble Krillan remembered that b-chan had been close when the blast hit. Immediately he began to look around, scanning the area for any sign of her. He found her nearly a mile from the house.

"Maybe she was lucky enough to not be part of that explosion. I should go see how she is doing." Krillan took a step with the intentions on flying off when he heard a huge booming sound in the air above him. He looked up and saw Android's 17 and 18 battling, something he never expected they would do. Krillan gritted his teeth each time 17 hit his wife, but he knew there was no way that he could do anything right now. ChiChi needed to be as far away from the battle as possibly and Krillan was the only one around to do it. Also his wife wouldn't want him to get involved either. Krillan blew a kiss to his wife and ran along the ground to avoid getting too close to the action. With his training running a mile wasn't too hard. He was able to use his ki to quicken his pace seeing as how they couldn't sense it. In no time he was within visual range of b-chan, who, as he had hoped, looked completely healthy.

"B-chan!" The girl turned around, recognizing the short man's voice.

"Krillan. What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Just trying to make sure that you are all right. You look fine, though. Were you anywhere near the explosion that blew up Capsule Corp.?

"No. I saw it though. I was a little groggy, so I went to clear my head. I didn't know that I had traveled so far until the building blew up and woke me out of my daydreaming."

"Well I'm glad to see you are okay, b-chan." Can I ask you a favor?" B-chan nodded. "Can you watch over ChiChi for me. I have to go help 18, even if she doesn't want me to."

"Ok, Krillan. I'll watch her."

"Thanks." He turned around and began to raise his ki. He was going to attack 17 head on with no remorse. How dare he put his hands on his wife? Krillan shot into the air but didn't get far. What he felt was unbelievably strong and it was so close. Its signature seemed to be bouncing off of the surroundings, though. It was trying to hide itself. Krillan searched all around, covering the entire landscape but not finding anyone except 18 and 17. Where was the power coming from? That last thing Krillan heard was b-chan yelling his name before he fell unconscious. B-chan was far behind, dropping ChiChi next to her in the process. Buu was proud of himself. The pests had almost interrupted his fun. Now they were temporarily out of the way. They would awaken later after the plan had been completed. Then they would be part of the fun.

**********

Vegeta stopped in mid flight. He was out of Super Saiyan mode. Some things had caught his attention. The first was Kakarotto. His ki was rising, which meant a battle. Vegeta did not know just whom, but as always he felt as if he were missing out on something. Android C had been less of a challenge, and his thirst for battle was driving him now. Vegeta had not let his son go unnoticed either. He vaguely recognized the aura of Hunter, the demon his son fought years ago. Trunks' ki was at the level of Hunter at the moment, which threatened to bring a smile to Vegeta's face. He was rigid, though, saving his emotion for if Trunks indeed bested his rival in battle. Never once did Vegeta ever think of going over to even watch. Trunks would do this himself without Vegeta there to possibly distract him. Let him have his time.

"Nani?!" Vegeta suddenly felt the same thing that everyone else had been feeling. The power was immense, almost staggering. There was no mistake about it; there was something big about to go down. The worst part was that it was over a Capsule Corp… where he had just come from. Who knew what the hell was going on over there now?

"Those Androids couldn't be the cause of this. They have no ki. What am I sensing that is so powerful?" Vegeta stared into space as if it would give him the answer. It did not. The Saiyan Prince took a moment to collect himself. He had to focus and get back to his home. Whatever it was that was attacking must be stopped. He smirked confidently. He had been longing for a match that would suit him. This could be it. Vegeta began his flight to the source of the disturbance.

"It's time to test my power once again." He clenched his hand into a tight fist, more agitated than anything else. "So why don't I feel excited by the battle anymore?"

**********

Android A grabbed Goku by the arm and hit him in the armpit. Using that same arm he flipped him over to throw to the ground, but stopped him with a knee to the head. The blow knocked Goku for a loop and made him woozy for a few moments. Upside down he took a dropkick to the face. Goku went spiraling down to the ground and crashed, bouncing off. Android A dove after him, ramming into his stomach with a headbutt. Goku clutched at his lungs, trying to free room in it for air. It didn't help much as Android A hit him again, expulsing any air that had crept back. The whole situation left Goku wondering exactly how the Android was going toe to toe with him. Could Dr. Boo have created such a smart machine that it could make up for a lack of power as great as it was dealing with?

"I will finish you, Son Goku!" Android A aimed a haymaker at Goku's exposed head, but he only hit the ground. The space was vacated totally. Goku rolled away and extended his feet to trip the Android as he did. It worked and A tumbled to the ground. Goku pushed off of the ground with his massive arms and landed in a ready stance.

"I won't lose." Android A finally made it back to his feet and was ready to fight again, but his comeback was cut short by an energy ball that exploded right on his face. A tried to take a step back, but his foot never found the ground. He was back on the ground soon after, rubbing his eyes and trying to get them open. Goku helped him with that by returning the earlier favor by burying his fist in Android A's chest. That forced the robot's eyes open in pain. His body was built to deal out this kind of punishment, but A was unsure if he could allow himself to keep taking such blows from his enemy. They were much too strong. A lifted his feet up until they were resting on Goku's chest before kicking him off with all of his strength. With Goku in the air he took off after him and connected with a solid uppercut, continuing his assent. A backflipped and started a decent, homing in on Goku's head with fierce kick. Goku crossed his arms over his face and Android A jumped off of them, flipping backward once again. This time when he was faced forward his head was nearly snapped off by Goku's forearm. The blow left him disoriented and ripe for attack. Goku was ready. He cupped his palms together and brought them to the side of his body.

"Damn!"

"Ka…Me-" The ever so small amount of energy that Goku had charged in his hands for his signature blast was instantly lost. Android A didn't understand for a moment, but soon he did. Goku was paralyzed, not in fear, but by utter surprise and astonishment. A took the opportunity to straighten himself out and land on the ground. Goku did the same. The fight was over for now. He had more important things to worry about.

"What power. That can only be one person…but it's too large for even him." Goku nodded because he knew exactly what the Android was talking about. He felt it too. The power signature belonged to Boo. That was easy to see, but that wasn't the problem. The part that was tough to understand was how it had managed to get so huge and so distorted. It was as if he were a Super self. That wasn't good. To make matters worse his brother was there with him, and Buu wasn't exactly weak at that point. He was stronger as well, much stronger than when Goku and Vegeta had defeated him on Kaio-shin-kai.

"It's Boo and his brother. They've found a way back into this world." A frown appeared on Goku's face. This wasn't good. Both of the brothers had obviously powered up a lot, but how much?

"They are indeed strong, but I will defeat them." Android A peeked back over at Goku, but he had already disappeared. "He must have used his Instantaneous Movement. No matter. I will see him again soon on the battle field." Android A lifted off of the floor, staring in the direction of the battle. "I have confidence in the Doctor. I know I am stronger than all of these shape-shifters. I will prove I am the strongest."

**********

WHAM!

17 had zero reaction time. 18 knew that her brother was going to wait for some sort of sneak attack, possible a fake followed by an all out assault. That would get her hit. Instead 18 braced herself on the ground below and shot off into the sky as fast as possible. Bye the time she came out of the ground her speed was uncanny. 17 took the attack right under the chin. He was knocked for a loop, gliding into the air at a slow rate. 18 moved up to his level and whacked him across the face with a roundhouse kick. As he reacted to the blow 18 reached out and caught his flailing arm, pulled him back in and gave him a hard headbutt and an uppercut. She grabbed 17's feet when they rose above her and yanked him back down, nailing him again under the chin with a double knee. 18 tumbled backward, stopped in a position above 17, and fired a large blast that struck him in the chest and pushed him to the ground. This time 17 was the one to make the enormous crater in the ground.

"Damn it, 17! Get a hold of yourself!" 18 breathed loudly now. She was tired from the battle. It would most likely go on, but she was still tired nonetheless. 18 positioned her hand to fire another blast is 17 tried an attack like her own. With watchful eyes she hawked over the hole that her brother made.

Whoosh.

"What the hell was that?" Something pink had just whizzed by too fast for her to get a decent look. She was sure that she hadn't imagined it, though. 18 didn't imagine things. Something had past by too quickly for her to examine it, and that meant it had to be fast. Things weren't looking up right now. "It can't be 17…" 18 looked into the crater once again. It was large and deep, but 17 was unmistakably lying at the bottom of it. He was just regaining consciousness. What the hell then could be moving so fast?

"Maybe I can answer that, dear 18." 18 whipped around only to be clutched by her throat by a large, pink demon that she had never seen before. His grip was like iron, so she knew there was going to be no escape unless he allowed it. The good thing was the 18 knew he wasn't going to try to kill her; his grip was allowing easy passage of air while restricting her movement so that she couldn't wriggle free.

"Who are you?"

"I'm surprised. Your friends haven't told you anything about me?" The demon stared into her eyes, showing her the utter evilness that he was. 18 didn't need anything else to tell her whom she was up against.

"Boo…"

"At your service." He performed a mock bow. 18 kicked him in the head, but it had no effect. "You really shouldn't be so violent to your partners." That was something that 18 did not like the sound of. Frantically she began to wriggle, kick and punch in hopes of getting Boo to release the hold. Her efforts were fruitless.

"Bastard!" 18 laid her hands out straight, gathered a coat of energy around them, and smashed them together around Boo's arm. It worked, and the limb was severed. 18 ripped the part that was still latched on to her neck off and threw it as far away as possible. It wasn't going to come back and absorb her. Now free of Boo, 18 hopped back a few steps. 

"18, where are you going? We haven't had a chance to talk about our relationship…" 18 took another step back, but bumped into a shape that she knew was Boo. He grabbed her again, holding her by the arms. He turned her around so that she was facing him and held her tight. 18 was more stricken with fear now than she had ever been.

"I'm going to blow your head off!" Despite the iron grip that Boo had 18 was able to maneuver her hands in the direction of his face. All she had to do was get it aimed right and she could fire.

"Now don't do that. If you did I couldn't do this-" Boo squeezed 18's arms in tightly to her body, threatening to crush her inward. The android let out a silent scream, unheard to anyone but conveying unbelievable pain. Boo continued on as if he hadn't seen it. "Now with you as my body, I will never be able to lose. My power will be unlimited!" Boo face turned up in what was supposed to be a smirk, but at the same time his head began to lose form. It was melting in a slow drip like lava. 18 saw this and tried every means necessary to get lose, but nothing worked. All of her energy blasts were errant. The horrifying fact was that she didn't have enough power to break free. 18 laid helpless in Boo's grip as he poured himself into her mouth, travelling throughout her body. She was free to move now, but 18 knew that was only temporary. From his words before she knew exactly what he had intended to do. Because she was an android, 18 had an unlimited supply of power. Boo figured that if he took over the android's body, he would have the same except with his level of power he could do much more damage. 18 looked into the crater where her brother was and saw another pink being doing the same thing to him.

"Damn it! 17!" 18 tried to take another step, but ended up punching herself in the stomach.

"Nice try, android, but you can't spoil my brother's fun. You have yourself to think about. Why don't you take a nap while I take this new body out for a test run?" 18 started to protest, wanting to react and hit him, but how could she? He was in her body, so whatever she tried to do to him would most likely only hurt her. Then there was the sudden wave of sleepiness that was overcoming her. Somehow Boo was tapping into her brain and making her feel tired. 18 knew she couldn't allow herself to sleep. If she did then Boo would have full control over her body. She didn't want to let that happen, but before she knew it 18 was on her knees, breathing very lowly. Her eyelids were like iron weights. Every muscle in her body was against her now, telling her to rest for just a moment. Finally 18 had to give in, just for a moment. That was her mistake.

"Baka…" 18's body went limp on the floor after she finally drifted into unconsciousness. Moments later Goku, Piccolo and Bulma appeared via the Saiyan's teleportation move. As the scattered bodies came into view they each dove down to the ground to check on their friends. Bulma checked on ChiChi and b-chan. Goku went over to Krillan, hoping that his good friend wasn't hurt too badly. Piccolo hovered over the two androids.

"These two are fine over here," yelled Bulma. "They're just asleep. Something must have hit them pretty hard. It looks like they are wincing." Bulma searched each of them for possible injuries that might not have been visible when she first found them, but there weren't any. That was a relief.

"I think Krillan is going to be just fine." Goku had picked the bald headed human up and was holding him under his armpits. Krillan was now awake, but very woozy. He couldn't even get his feet under himself. Goku dragged him over to the remains of Capsule Corp and propped him up against a portion of the remaining foundation. "Rest here, Krillan."

"…Huh…"

"You'll be fine."

"Goku," called Bulma from her spot across the way. "Help me with these two." Goku floated over to where she was and picked up his wife. Bulma watched as he clutched her closely, never moving his gaze from her body. Bulma wanted to console him; he seemed so distant. She knew realistically that she couldn't, though. Bulma always tried to be realistic.

"WATCH OUT!" screamed Piccolo from behind. Goku didn't even think about his next move; it was instinctual. With the gentleness of a wild boar he shoved Bulma out of the way and snapped his body around. Blazing its way across the ground was an energy ball slightly larger than Goku himself. The Saiyan braced himself for impact and caught the sphere with his arms crossed over his chest. The first thing Goku noticed was that it wasn't too strong. It didn't take him very long to maneuver under its center of gravity. From there he used his massive muscles to throw it into the air. It exploded harmlessly miles above. Just after it did Piccolo landed next to him.

"What was that?!" Goku searched around for the assailant, but he could find no trace. Whomever it was had been very quick and somehow managed to hide his or her ki. Piccolo huffed, staring at the spot where he had once been. It was now completely black. The Namek had almost been hit by the first attack by the mystery man. If it weren't for his quick reflexes he wouldn't have survived.

"Damn it! It's the android! It was 17!"

"17? But you can-"

"This wasn't the same 17, Goku. He's changed. I felt his aura, and he isn't supposed to have one." That was enough to convince Goku something was wrong. 17 had an aura earlier, and that wasn't the start of anything good either. Now it had morphed yet again. That left yet another question; why? The gears in Goku's brain churned now, finding more questions than answers. A very disturbing one came up.

"…Where is 18?" Piccolo's eyes widened as he realized that he hadn't accounted for the female android.

"Goku…" Both the Namek and the Saiyan faced Bulma as she backed into them. The look of fear on her face was unmistakable. She looked as if she had a ghost…or a demon. Right in front of her was the source. It was 18, and from what the two were sensing it was just 18. It took only a moment for them to realize what they were fighting.

"…It's him." Goku was sure of it. The evil demon that had come from the dead zone was back, and he had done a lot since then. Somehow he had found a way to take control of the body of Android 18, but that left the question why? What could he gain? Goku had thought that he could only use the powers of people if he absorbed them. He hadn't known Boo could simply take over someone's body and use it as his own.

"Who is him?" asked Piccolo, who had never sensed Boo before.

"It's Boo," answered Bulma. "You weren't here when it happened, but it's the Boo we fought years ago."

"The brother of the one Vegeta and I fought on Kaio-shin-kai." Now Piccolo was beginning to understand. He remembered being told about Boo, but of course didn't get a chance to see him. By the time he had arrived back on planet Earth Buu was dead and his brother Boo had been resealed in the Dead Zone.

"Very perceptive of you," stated another person from behind. Piccolo and Goku went back to back so that they couldn't be sneak attacked. Bulma moved away so that both of the people were in her sights. The new person stepped forth so that he was the same distance away from them as 18. It was her brother, 17, and he had been possessed as well. This time they all recognized the ki signature.

"Buu!!!" They exclaimed at the same time in disbelief. He had already been defeated twice, but some how and some way Buu always seemed to manage to come back. Here he was again, standing before them in the body of 17. There was nothing different about the androids as far as appearance except for their eyes, which lit up with red fury every so often.

"So you remember me? How nice. Now that we've finished the reunion it's time to have some fun."

"We aren't going to play your games!" yelled Piccolo, who was tired of getting the run around from everyone. "State your purpose here or leave. Better yet, just leave!"

"No, green man," started 18. "You won't get a single thing out of me…unless… you fight me in the Dead Zone." Piccolo gritted his teeth together and balled his fists. He knew that Boo was just trying to separate them so that he could defeat them easily, but what if he refused?

"And if I don't?" 18 raised a hand and pointed it at the Namek's head. A small light beamed from just in front of the palm. As it grew 18's arm swayed to the side until it was pointed at its new target, a groggy Krillan.

"I blow the human away."

"…"

"I thought so." 18 let the light drop to the floor. Instead of a small explosion there was a ripple in the very fabric of the world. From the center of the ripple came a rip that opened quickly to a black area. It was the Dead Zone. "Now, green man. Follow me if you dare." 18 disappeared into the black hole. Piccolo didn't budge.

"Piccolo…" Goku stopped. There was nothing he could say or do. 17 wasn't going to let him interfere or help, so the decision was Piccolo's to make. Goku knew the chances, though. They weren't good.

"Goku…make sure that you kill both of these demons for good." He started to the gaping hole in the essence of the world. Bulma ran up to him and grabbed his arm, not allowing him to go any further.

"Don't you realize this is suicide?!"

"…"

"Piccolo?!"

"…Get away from me, Bulma!" With one swift move he threw her away with one arm. She easily landed on her feet and blasted off toward him to try again, but Goku grabbed her by the arm as she rocketed by. The utter shock on her face was humorous.

"Goku, he doesn't know what he's doing!"

"…"

"Goku?!" Bulma couldn't believe that Goku wasn't going to do anything to help. There had to be something. They could wait for the others to arrive. That would help. Bulma gazed deep into Goku to see what he was thinking. A complete understanding for what Piccolo was doing was apparent, but it wasn't explained. The other's would be here soon. They could all fight together… or could they. That was when Bulma began to understand. Piccolo understood that Boo had the power to kill them all, most likely at will. Vegeta was nearby; Goten and Rae were also on their way. B-chan and ChiChi were there, but not ready to fight just yet. Krillan wasn't coherent enough for battle. In order to give everyone time Boo had to be occupied. That meant someone had to get his attention long enough for everyone to be ready…and that was Piccolo.

"He's doing it for the good of everyone." The truth was hard to take. Bulma could hold back the tears that came down her face.

"Piccolo…no…"

**********


	7. Origin Of A Hunter

Fusion…HA! 2- The Dead Zone

Part 7- Origin Of A Hunter

Hunter nearly severed Trunks' head from the rest of his body with the elbow that he delivered to the back of Trunks' neck. Despite the impact Trunks recovered fairly quickly to get back in position to fight. Hunter came barreling toward him, twisting in a corkscrew-like fashion. The attack was dead on- a headbutt to the gut, and had great affect. The air tried to escape so quickly that the air pipe in Trunks almost burst from the pressure. Didn't matter to Hunter; he was just starting.

"You seem quiet now, Trunks. Why is that?" With great pain Trunks opened his eyes and socked Hunter under the chin with a solid right, but he couldn't get any power behind it so Hunter simply pretended it hadn't happened. Trunks tried again, this time hitting Hunter in the sides with hook punches, but the affect was the same. Hunter was on the verge of laughing out aloud. The battle, which he had waited so long for, was almost over.

While Hunter was pondering about the length of the battle Trunks sneakily slumped down to the level of his opponents feet and grabbed both of them, using force that was sure to take Hunter off of them. Hunter's head smacked into the ground just before Trunks hopped up and buried a knee into his nose, crushing everything down further. Trunks somersaulted forward and rose to his feet. He was immediately in the air, putting distance between the two. He was going to need it for the next move.

"Damn Saiyan." Hunter wiped the blood from his nose. It had been embarrassing for him to get him with such an obvious attack. He was the strong one, not the stupid one. Hunter was supposed to fool Trunks into doing things like that, not the other way around. The worse part was that the knee Trunks gave him to the nose had actually hurt like hell. The pain was still swimming around his face. "Well that sure was unpleasant. Won't let that happen again." Then Hunter looked up and saw what was the making of 'it happening again'. Trunks had his hands cupped to the side in a familiar fashion. That wasn't what bothered Hunter. What did was the unheard of amount of ki energy that he was gathering. It shouldn't have been possible for him, but there he was doing it just the same.

"KA…"

"Trunks…is that what his true power is…?" Hunter was almost frozen in fear for a moment, but quickly passed. His mind then began to think about a counter to the imminent Kamehameha. He could use his old Vulcan eraser, which was just as powerful…

"ME…" Hunter slow built up his aura until it was visible. He had to charge it slowly or else Trunks might see it coming. He still had time. After all, everyone knows how slow the Kamehameha is…

"Punch!"

"Punch?" That wasn't how it was supposed to go. Trunks launched himself from his spot in the air and all but ripped through Hunter's stomach with a ki charged punch. To say the wind was knocked out of him would be an understatement. Hunter's mouth hung open as if it were waiting for donations.

"KA-ME-HA-ME…HA!!!!!!!!!" This time Trunks fired the beam that Hunter had expected the first time, and this time he fired the entire thing down Hunter's throat. Trunks fired up his Super Saiyan strength and mustered up enough to outrun the explosion that he created with his attack. Looking back he knew that it would not be enough to beat Hunter, but it would give him an edge. That thought was substantiated when Hunter became visible again. He was in the same spot as before, but then again, he was also on the floor below… and behind… and in front… and to the sides somewhere. Trunks wasn't done though. Hunter's ability to heal would have him ready for action in very little time, so Trunks intended to vaporize all traces of the Buu-droid so that he couldn't do that. He spotted all of his targets. There were 6 in all. Hunter's head was the lone part of his body that was still afloat in the air. His arms, legs, and one of his hands had been severed and spread over a decent distance. Trunks clenched his right fist and homed in on his first victim. Even then Hunter grinned, cooking up some plan to turn this negative into a positive.

"Don't turn your back on me!" With the strain of breaking tissue paper Hunter regenerated his entire body from just his head. Trunks felt the sudden resurgence of power just in time to feel the shock run up his spine due to a double foot to his back. He was plowed into the ground, almost belly flopping. His face was nearly ripped to shreds by a rock that he hit on the way down. Luckily for him his head was so damn hard. Even after that he wasn't done.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!" Trunks used his ki to repel Hunter off of his back. The Buu-droid backflipped to a safe distance. Trunks stood up out of what could have been mistaken for his grave, clearly upset at what had just happened. He let his guard down again. How many times was he going to get off easy before Hunter just simply killed him? His focus had been his only downside the entire fight. Trunks believed he was, and when he was doing well he was. When things started going too well, though, he was trying to hard and leaving openings. Hunter was capitalizing on that. After digging himself out of his hole, though, he had more to worry about than his focus. Or that might have been the problem, seeing as how there were now six Hunters. Trunks looked like he was asked a nuclear physics question.

"So Trunks. You've been having so much fun with just one of me, why don't we bring some friends to the party? I'm sure they are dying to meet, er, kill you." All of the Hunter's gave Trunks the distinct impression that they had more vindictive thoughts on their minds besides just killing him. Just the sheer numbers of them was scary enough. How could he handle six Hunters? A sneak attack? Not with them all watching his every move. Even if one didn't see it, the other five would. He would just have to kill one of them… if that was possible.

"You haven't one yet, Hunter. I can take all of you on. Your multi-form attack won't scare me."  


"Just who do you think you are kidding? I can see it in your eyes," said one of them.

"So can I," said another.

"Yep. He's scared," said the third.

"He's probably wet his pants," said the forth.

"And soiled himself," said the fifth. The sixth said nothing important. All he did was give a cutting motion over his neck and point. With that five super powered Hunter's closed in on their lone prey.

**********

"Welcome to my home Piccolo," said the fake 18. She moved her arms in a to her sides and held out her hands as if to show him the area around. Piccolo was awestruck by the completely waste of space. He now understood why people tried so hard to escape the Dead Zone. The utter silence; you could literally hear your own breath or a pin drop if there was a solid object beneath you. If you stayed in there for too long you could easily lose your mind. It wouldn't take much effort. Someone like Piccolo could probably take advantage of the surrounding silence to train without interruption, but even he needed some sort of life form around. Piccolo eyed the new and improved Android 18.

"Why waste your time with me, Boo? What is your purpose?"

"It's very simple really. I need someone to spare with."

"…"

"I can see by your lack of speech that you are surprised by that. What did you think I was going to say? That I believed you to be the only person capable of defeating me? That would have been humorous. I should have thought of that."

"Maybe I am and you just don't know it." Piccolo knew that was bull. He didn't stand a chance unless he had a hefty donation of power coming sometime in the near future. That wasn't going to happen, so Piccolo had to try to do everything to survive long enough to get out of the Dead Zone alive.

"Oh? Are you really? Please show me. I just have to see this. If your power comes to even a fraction of my own I'll be impressed." 18 bowed her head and closed her eyes. "Look; my defenses are down. Do what you wish. I'll give you one minute." The Namek didn't waste a moment guiding his middle and index fingers to his head momentarily, but then his arms just fell to his sides.

_That's just what he wants me to do. Attack at random, attempting to hurt him little by little in hopes that I can do some damage before the time is up. That won't work. He's too strong. There probably isn't anything that will work, but I have an idea. If he's expecting a collection of small attacks, he has a big surprise in store for him._ Piccolo moved his large arms until they made an "X" over his upper torso. His gaze never left 18 for a second; he took a brief moment to remember the coming of the androids and how his battle with 17 ended in him being destroyed by Cell. He also remembered how Buu had completely vaporized the planet after being defeated (he remembered waking up in the afterlife anyway). Piccolo made no sound and no attempt to attack. He just stood there like a gargoyle, watching 18.

_Hmmm… what is this Namek doing? I've given him a chance to try to defeat me and he refuses. He must know that I'm stronger than he is, but if he is anything like his friends he won't give up that easy. He must be trying something, but does he really think anything he can do will hurt me? Not only am I more powerful, but I have unlimited power thanks to this new body. The Namek may fool himself into believing that he can beat me; that's what I want. Once his spirit is broken I'll make sure to follow up with is spine. Crush it into jelly and-_ 18 cut the thought short and concentrated on Piccolo's increase in energy. It wasn't much or very speedy, but the demon was curious at what kind of power Piccolo was going to use on him. The Namek knew the effort was futile, didn't he? Why bother.

"You have some fight, Piccolo, and for that I'll commend you. You don't, however, have a working brain. Maybe I'll examine yours after I'm done cracking your head open." 18 began to laugh at his own joke despite how bad it was. Piccolo didn't laugh, but he did smile.

"Keep talking. I only need a few more seconds."

"…A few more seconds? What are you going to pull now?" Piccolo managed to get a raised eyebrow reaction out of Boo when his eyes went completely white. He knew that Piccolo was still looking directly at him, but even he was slightly unnerved by the change. It was only momentarily; 18 was back to his cocky self in no time.

"I get it now. You think you can scare me?" Sparks of lighting and electricity mixed lightly with waves of white and blue energy to answer the question. "Nice light show."

"Even someone as deluded by their power as you should understand what's going on here, Boo. I didn't come in here to die. If you thought that then you are going to be in for a very long fight." The friction of clashing energy's increased around Piccolo's body once again as if to try to prove his point. "You and your brother are too drunks with your own power to recognize another's when it begins to threaten yours."

"And your power is supposed to threaten mine? You need a couple thousand years more training for that to happen, Piccolo."

"No…I don't." That received another raised eyebrow response.

****

Flashback

It was a windy day. The area was completely vacant of all life. All of the animals had run for cover in the caves and holes of the surrounding area. The sky was dark and the weather showed the makings of a storm. There was one being outside in this storm; Piccolo

He never opened his eyes. The wind washed over him, wanting to move his position. He did not concede and he did not open his eyes. The rain poured down on him, drenching him and adding extra weight to his training gear. His cape carried so much water it could barely flap anymore. It simply hung down behind him. Yet Piccolo did not open his eyes. Debris had been picked up off of the ground and flung through the air and him. He had even been struck with a large boulder. A rabbit watched from its hiding place and flinched when the two forces collided. Piccolo was left undamaged; the boulder became an assorted collection of pebbles. He sat in the air with his legs crossed Indian style and his fingertips lightly touching each other.

_I must concentrate. I'm am so close. The storm will help me reach the next level, but only if I don't lose control. If I focus enough I'll break through the barrier that's been holding me down. I'll go to the next level. No Namek has ever reached it, and that's why I will. No Namek has possessed my combination of mind, body, and soul. I have united all of them and mastered each. I can call upon them at will in a fight to aid me, but my use of them is limited. I don't wield as much strength as the Saiyans…possibly never will, but I should be able to raise my fighting power substantially. I will give birth to a new breed of Namek on this day._

Thunder crackled in the background and lighting struck Piccolo on the right shoulder. He didn't so much as flinch, as that would have ruined his concentration. Besides, lighting was what he needed. It would give a jump-start to the power within him. He could draw more in; it would make concentrating harder, but it was a necessity to break through. Two more bolts dived down at him in hopes of turning him into an extra-crispy Namek, but all they did was give him the boost he needed.

_That's it. Don't lose it now. The storm is now acting as my generator, keeping me at my full strength. That allows me to use my power to heighten my maximum level. Goku could probably do this on his own without the aid of a natural storm, but it might be better to use one. If I can get my power past the breaking point I will have succeeded. _

Still his eyes did not open. Instead the lids over them tightened, showing his full commitment to the project. A low grumble could be heard in his throat. The process had begun.

_There is no turning back now. I have to keep a constantly increasing level or the storm will disperse. I have to draw more power!_

Piccolo bared his fangs, trying harder than ever to will the storm along. It was now functioning solely to meet his demands, and to do so it had to get more violent. The wind and debris picked up heavily, doing twice as much has it had before. Hundreds of objects pelted his sides and face, but Piccolo easily blocked them out. That was small stuff compared to what he was doing. He wouldn't let those things ruin his chance. The thunder and lighting picked up as well, crashing down with frequency nearing once per second for each. Piccolo sucked it all into himself; even the incredible sounds waves that were crashing all around. The sheer speed at which he was consuming the newfound energy resources was alarming. At this rate he wouldn't be able to keep harnessing the storm for a long enough time to reach the breakthrough point.

_This seems to be getting harder as get closer. I can feel it now. I'm there at the door, but it's going to take a large boost in power to break it down. This storm combined with my own power can do just that, but my mind has to calm itself first. The strain is working against me; I must concentrate._

For the first time since he started Piccolo opened his eyes, but gone were the black pupils or any other color. They were now pure white, ghosts staring out into the world that they drew their strength from. The burst of energy was going to be intense. Piccolo prepared his body and mind for it. It could easily destroy him, but the Namek had more respect for himself than to allow such an exercise to do him in. This would be his ultimate success.

KABOOM!

Pain and fear ran through every pore of his being. Piccolo had never felt a mix of the two like he was right now. The pain was excruciating; the influx had been much more than anticipated. He could handle it, but not for very long. It was overloading his senses, and his body would just as soon quit on him as it would endure the onslaught. The fear came from allowing just that to happen. The energy inside of him, his combined with the storms, would be free to roam. Needless to say the surrounding area wouldn't be very safe. Thankfully it was uninhabited, but what about the closest towns. Piccolo wasn't weak; he was completely capable of destroying the planet. If his energy was released without control it make for horrible results. Still Piccolo was able to fight through the pain and fear with little more than a blood-curdling scream…

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

****

End Flashback

Boo was more than stunned. Even in his new body he couldn't believe what was actually happening. The Namek had never once even been entertained as a threat to the brothers in their quest for the death of the fusion. The other fighters were thought to probably be just play things until they were ready to fight Gogeta. Boo had intended on kicking Piccolo around and then staying inside the Dead Zone, just to make everyone wonder about his condition. Even after the return portal was opened he wasn't going to jump straight out. Boo wanted the drama to reach a climax just before he nonchalantly stepped out of the void, crushing all hope in the hearts of those outside. That fantasy didn't look like it was going to take place.

"There is no way you could do this! How?!"

"You aren't the only one with secrets, demon!" Piccolo's entire body started to glow a blinding white. Although not visible because of the overabundance of reflected shine, Piccolo's costume was undergoing a transformation of sorts as well. 18 braced himself against the shock waves; they were so intense that 18 might be taken off of his feet at any time. Boo took this time to reflect and think.

"Can it be possible that the Namek can really reach another level that rivals my own?" Boo realized that in his utter contempt for Gogeta and the burning desire to kill him he had not left room for wondering about the others. It had been 10 years since they had fought. It could be possible for anyone to increase his or her power level…but that dramatically? One thing Boo knew for sure was that Piccolo had indeed reached a new level, and as things were he had somehow gotten stronger.

**********

Goku looked around, and what he saw he didn't like. Krillan was still not at one hundred percent. He was now standing on his own without too much trouble, but he wouldn't be able to fight. Even at one hundred percent Krillan might not be able to contribute to this battle. B-chan and ChiChi were now up. In a few moments they would be ready. Goku was unsure of b-chan, but he had witnessed first hand ChiChi's battle power. She was quite impressive for her years of rust. Bulma was also available for immediate battle. That wasn't going to happen though; Goku had a plan.

"Bulma." The human-turned-Saiyan looked at him from behind.

"Goku?"

"Go and check on b-chan and ChiChi. Make sure they are okay. We'll need their help…or you might." His instructions processed quickly, and Bulma understood the underlying motive. She complied and went over to the two women who had finally begun to see straight.

"ChiChi? B-chan? Are you okay?" The two women gave her murderous looks that convinced her not to ask again.

"Who hit me?" asked b-chan.

"That's not important right now," replied Bulma. "ChiChi, you know what we have to do, right?" ChiChi nodded. They both moved slightly apart. B-chan watched intently, not knowing what to expect.

"Ready." They nodded and started the dance. Everyone, Goku and 17/Buu included, watched.

"FUSION…HA!" Their fingers touched perfectly. The entire dance was a success, thanks to the repeated practicing during the recent years. It was only a few steps, so they practiced a few times a week. Every so often they actually fused into the warrior Chima just to make sure they had the dance down together. Now it was just like a practice session. There was an ensuing explosion, completely expected by all those watching, followed by a swirling cloud of dust and power. Then there was Chima. B-chan started to look around for ChiChi and Bulma whom had mysteriously disappeared during the whole situation. Looking at the new woman standing where they used to be she put two and two together.

"They can do that by using that dance?" She thought back to the fusion dance, which seemed like a foolish mix of moves without any real purpose. Easily duplicated, but they didn't look like they could produce the kind of results they did. The two had become one…and then there was her power. B-chan recognized immediately that she much stronger than anyone else there. Was she stronger than Buu? That remained to be seen.

"Buu." Chima stepped in front of Son Goku, who moved out of the way and flew over to Krillan in hopes of waking him up into the real world. As he did he felt a couple of approaching powers. Rae and Goten were on their way. Vegeta, who at first looked like he might have been on his way now had disappeared from Goku's senses. What that meant he was unsure of, but he trusted Vegeta to do the right thing. They right now everything was up to Chima.

"It's the woman fusion. This will be fulfilling." Chima stare stayed cold.

"You're right. I am going to enjoy this." Chima clapped her hands together, making sure that they were facing upward. Instantly a brightly glowing ball started to push them back apart. Chima kept her pressure constant so as not to allow it to grow to big too fast. As a matter of fact she kept it at that size, restricting its movement while trying to fill it with as much power as possible.

"You think I can't do that?" 17 mimicked Chima's motions from earlier, right down to the clapping of the hands. He too formed a ball of energy. "Your little trick can't scare me, woman."

"It's not meant to scare you; it's meant to tear you apart from the inside out!" With all of her power Chima smash the back ends of her hands that were closest to her body together, forcing the red hot energy ball to fire forward. 17 reared back and threw his at the incoming blast. When the two collided it wasn't even close to a contest; Chima's attack rocketed forth as it had just passed through a feather pillow. It ripped and slashed its way into 17's chest, where it promptly exploded. Chima didn't even cover up after the blast. B-chan and Goku watched the spectacle with Krillan.

"That's the fusion dances power?" asked b-chan. Goku and Krillan nodded, although Krillan's was more astonishment than anything else. No matter how many times he saw it happen he would never understand how people could get so strong.

"Yes," answered Goku after analyzing the situation before them. He knew the outcome. 17 (or Buu) had just been taught to take Chima more seriously; nothing more than that. "I noticed that you were following the moves. Do you think that you could do them over again if you had to?"

"Me?" b-chan looked right at Goku, but he still had his gaze locked on the battlefield. "I guess." B-chan went over the moves again in her head, reading each one. They hadn't been too tough. She probably could do it without too much of a problem.

"Good. When Rae gets here then you should fuse with her." Both b-chan and Krillan almost fell over with shock.

"What?!" was the reply from both of them at the same time.

"You and Rae can fuse, right? She knows the fusion dance. I'm sure she does. Rae watches Goten and Trunks do it all the time." Goku looked at b-chan. "Don't worry. It will be easy. I know you can do it." B-chan nodded.

"Dad! Krillan!" Everyone glanced into the sky to see Goten and Rae, whom had just made it to the site. They floated down to the ground and landed in front of the three, with Chima and 17 off to the side. "I heard what you said from the sky, Dad. Do you think they could pull it off?"

"Sure. Why not? Rae can fuse with anybody, right? She is a Buu-droid." Rae nodded to confirm.

"It's true. Let me just check and make sure I get this right." Rae stepped over to b-chan while everyone turned their attention back to 17. Goten rose an eyebrow at the legs standing with no body. Goku could see his confusion written all over his face.

"That's Buu. He took over 17's body and is now fighting Chima." Goku's eyes seemed to wander around the sky for a bit. "This would be a great time to have Gotenks here."

"I just left Trunks, Dad, and he's not going to be able to make it. He's fighting Hunter. He made Rae and I leave."

"I know. He wants to face him alone. Vegeta told me about Trunks and how he felt about not beating Hunter the first time. I'm not surprised at his decision at all." Goku let his aura start to flow. "As far as my decision; I'm not going to sit by and watch Chima get the only shots at Buu." At that moment Goku was replaced by his Super Saiyan level 2 self. Goten smiled, unable to hide his pride in his father's strength.

"I'm ready too." Goten showed off his strength by reaching SSJ. The two stood side by side, not yet joining Chima in front of 17.

"Just remember to watch yourself, Goten. Draw out all of your power." Goten flashed a thumbs up sign his father's way to tell him that he understood before he put his battle face on. By this time 17 had regenerated his injured parts.

"Nice touch, fusion." He cracked his neck in typical Buu fashion. "I see you have back up."

"Scared?" she asked, still completely devoid of emotion.

"No, but you should be. I'm going to have to punish you for cheating. The odds are stacked against me. It's not fair."

"It's about as fair as you destroying the earth just because you can!" In what looked like one fluent motion Chima appeared in front of 17, stopped, did a front flip over, turned around and used her ki to propel her down the ground. Her left foot dug into the ground and popped itself under 17's foot all before he could blink his eye. Goku took advantage and rammed right into the upward rising leg, forcing it to find an "immovable" object to stop it. That was his face. Goten jumped in, not really able to follow too much of the action, but he anticipated his chance coming. He crossed his hands over each other as if he was going to do a Masenko, but then brought them to the side for the Kamehameha wave.

"Masenkame-HA!" The attack produced was much larger than any other Kamehameha wave (except Gohan's against Cell) and it easily encased 17's small frame. Goku and Chima stood to either side.

"HA!" A counter blast erupted from 17's mouth that overwhelmed Goten's. He dodged just before the reinforced wave reached him, but he moved into the path of the freight train known as Buu. He took a right to the face. 17 threw a ki ball behind him that stopped and did a U-turn, exploding on Goten's back and putting him in perfect position for an elbow under the chin. Goku and Chima flew up and squashed 17's head between their fists. Looking much like a pancake he puffed his head back to normal proportions before throwing a punch at Goku. It was blocked with a forearm. Goku lurched forward with a hard headbutt. The attack dazed him more than 17, though, and soon thereafter he felt two hands slap close on either side of his head. They directed him toward 17 again, who was using his head like a hammer. Goku took almost 7 hits before shoulder-blocked 17 from behind again and knocked everyone to the floor. Goku stayed while Boo flipped up and moved about 7 feet in front. Chima somersaulted, rolling heels over head, to a standing position. Frozen for a slit in time to gain balance she was easy prey for the back kick.

"Oof!" 17 made a flip out of the kick, halting his motion while upside down to throw a large amount of ki directly in Chima's face. That occupied her, forcing her to dig her feet into the ground. From behind and above came Goten, not giving up as easily as one would think. He locked his hands together in a fist and swung, but the attack found nothing but air.

"You don't think you can hit me with such trivial attacks, do you?" 17 sneered at Goten, expressing his intentions on killing him with only a gaze. Goten read that as a challenge, which he felt more than up to. He twisted around with an elbow and a quick punch follow-up. 17 swiftly moved out the way. Goten shot a kick right at the spot where he figured 17 would move. To his shock and amazement he did hit 17, but the androids body was so tough and hard that the blow almost cracked some of the bones in Goten's foot.

"Arrrgh!"

"Hmm…" 17 held his chin between his thumb and index finger. "I don't think I quite broke your bone enough. Here. Let me finish the job."

"Not while I'm around!" A light almost blipped unnoticeably from behind. 17 faced it holding out his hand and dissipating the incoming attack. However Goku was not there. The realization came too late.

"You-arrghhhh!" 17 took an ultra-hard kick to this chest that almost broke through to the other side. He didn't go far, just a few feet, but the effects of the shot were showing. The indent in 17's chest cavity went in about 2 inches. He couldn't touch it; the pain was too great.

"Now, Goten!" The reminder from Goku was not needed. Goten had already started to set up his Masenkameha again. This time it wasn't going to be abrupt; he was going to pour everything he had into it.

"MA…" Goku levitated off to the side, watching his son. He thought it interesting that Goten hadn't taken on the Kamehameha like Gohan. He instead combined two of the most powerful attacks in the Gohan/Goku arsenal. The result was quite impressive.

"SEN…" Goten had now moved his arms and hands to the side to start increasing the limits of the energy ball that he was harnessing in his hands. Not to far away from him were Rae and b-chan, who had stopped doing their preparing to watch the spectacle that was Goten's Masenkameha.

"KA…" The lights show emitting from between Goten's fingers was awe-inspiring. It came up in thick columns that almost made it look dark. Goku was impressed; he was doing all of this off of SSJ power. If Goten ever broke through to the next level he would be every bit as good as his brother. The thought of Gohan turned some lights on in Goku's head. Gohan's absence hadn't been rectified because of the battle, but there was no need for everyone to stay.

"ME…" Some could go and some could stay. It was crowded anyway. Rae and b-chan could go. Dr. Boo would be more their level. Goten could probably go too. Of course he would have to finish the attack first. Krillan would have to decide on his own. Goku once again was intently watching his son Goten, wild ki and all.

"HA!" The resulting explosive power ball was much more potent than the last. 17 saw it coming and was genuinely scared for a fraction of a second. Gaining his wits he held his ground and hands. He caught the massive ball and directed it all over to his left hand. Slowly he took off his right and allowed all the weight to push against his left side. A single punch sent the blast rolling back to its owner. Goten's eyes filled with the deadly glow of his attack. Had his father not stepped in front and tossed it aside he might have seen more heavenly things.

"Goten, it's time for you to leave."

"But dad, I just got here. I need to help somehow."

"You can. Take Rae and b-chan and go find your brother. We must find Videl as well." Goten stared at the back of Goku's head as if it were talking to him.

"But I can help you here!" Goten wasn't really arguing about going to find his brother. Finding Videl was a good idea too. He just didn't like getting kicked off of the battlefield so many times in one day. It was like saying he couldn't cut it, but he had just shown that he wasn't afraid of 17. Wasn't that enough?

"Goten, everyone has a part to do. I need you to find your brother and Videl. We can't allow Dr. Boo to escape with them." Goku cocked his head slightly so that the two could see each other's face. "Think of it this way. Gohan will owe you a favor, so you might be able to get him away from his studies long enough to train with you."

"B-…" That was a pretty good proposition.

"Good. Take b-chan and Rae with you. You may need the help of the fusion.

"Dad. Trunks is fighting Hunter." Goku nodded as if he knew that and left it at that. He had to focus on 17, or Buu's incarnation of him. The android was motionless, not hurt but not attacking. Goten retrieved Rae and b-chan and they flew off.

"Krillan?" asked Goku. His longtime monk friend landed next to him. "Are you ready for this?" Krillan wiped his mouth with his wristband.

"Yeah. I'm fine now, but I don't know if me being around is going to help much."

"Don't worry about that. We've fought together for so long, it just doesn't seem right without you fighting side by side with me." Krillan smiled at that. Goku had always been a good friend. If he didn't want Krillan to go, then there was no one tearing him away from this fight.

"That is very amusing, but you still have to actually fight me." 17 stalked forth. "And I'm not even working up a sweat with this meaningless sparing. If you plan on fighting me at this strength I'll have to kill you." He pointed to Goku, and then at Krillan. "And you…"

"And you will die before any of that ever happens." Chima was right there to the side of him, a death grip on what was soon to be his unrecognizable hand.

"Damn you!"

"You forget that I am here. I don't think you have enough power in that scrawny body of yours to beat me. Would you like to prove me wrong?"

"I wouldn't like to; I will!"

**********

Vegeta was barely over a mile away, and that distance could be easily covered. The fight between Hunter and Trunks was far from over, but he couldn't help but to monitor it. Just by feeling out their ki he could tell what was happening down to each punch. At that distance it wasn't too hard. Trunks was making what felt like rookie mistakes, but at the same time Vegeta never knew his son to really want to defeat anyone like he did Hunter. Maybe someone had finally insulted his pride enough.

"If I allow people to insult my pride too often he doesn't allow it enough. He's too forgiving. This is exactly the kind of battle he needs."

The two kis clashed again…and then there were seven. Hunter was using an advanced split form technique, similar to the one Buu could use when regenerating.

"The fool. He's spreading his ki out too far. He won't last long in that form. Trunks will destroy him." The utter pride on Vegeta's face could not be hidden, not that there was anyone to hide it from. He could feel the ki's far off fighting. Goku and Chima were with the bald headed monk. They were fighting what seemed like one of the thousands of demons that they always had to fight. At that point Vegeta saw no immediate danger, so taking a moment to watch his son fight in probably his most important battle of his life didn't seem like it was a big deal. If Kakarotto really needed some kind of help he'd be sure to send Vegeta a signal. The low class Saiyan tended to do things like that.

"Trunks. You have more potential than you even realize. You will defeat him."

**********

Trunks took about 3 punches at the same time to his right side, and 3 kicks to his left. He didn't gasp for air or scream out in pain. The demi-Saiyan didn't have the clarity of thought to do that. The assault on his body was making coherent thinking something of the past. He wanted to fight back, but each time he went to face one another came in, and another and another. The cycle was endless. The 6th one stayed back and just waited, picking his spots. That had to be the controller, the original. If he could get enough damage inflicted on the original he would be back to one again. That, of course, meant he was going to have to get away from the 5 stooges first.

"Hunter! You jerk!" Trunks fired three ki attacks to his right, all of which were dodged. At the same time he was kicked in the small of the back. Going with the momentum he twisted off of the foot and snagged the offensive limb. The attacking Hunter was more than surprised. With his new weapon Trunks hit a grand slam taking out four of the Hunter's with one swing. He let go of the fifth, and they all tumbled away. That left numero seis.

"I see that you've managed to fight the rest of them pretty well." Trunks didn't answer. He lifted his right arm so that it was level with the ground. His hand was in a fist. It opened slightly, no more than a couple of centimeters.

"I'm going to shred you into a thousand pieces, and fry every single part of you that remains."

"Do you really think you can do that? I don't think you can." From inside Trunks' hand sprang forth a power blade. When it cooled down it was apparent that it was the sword his future self had held.

"I'll be happy to prove you wrong." Trunks raised that blade for the first strike, but it wouldn't do anything other than that. 5 strong pairs of hands had found a grip on the sword, and they didn't want to let go…but they did. Swiftly they all locked their arms around a vital limb. Two on the arms, two on the legs, and one around the head. The sixth Hunter stood face to face with him…then smacked him

"Silly Trunks. You talk too much." The Hunter on Trunks right arm tightened his grip and forced Trunks to drop his sword. The 6th Hunter bent over to pick it up, placing his head in perfect position to get punted to the moon by even the weakest of hits. Trunks knew that and wanted badly to do so, but the Hunter's so snugly attached to his leg didn't want to part ways with him. All he could do was struggle. Hunter picked up the sword, pretending to admire it.

"Damn you and your games, Hunter!"

"Poor Trunksy doesn't want to play around. Fine; we'll get right to the point." Hunter held the blade sideways almost at eye level, staring right at the demi-Saiyan as if telling him his plans telepathically. Trunks responded by struggling even more to get free.

"You can't-"

"Oh shut up! I'm sick of your whining and complaining. Just let me stab you and we'll both be happy!"

"I'll be happy when I chop off your head and turn your friends here into confetti!" Hunter brought the handle of the sword to his chest, pointing it outward at the area Trunks' heart resided in. He jabbed with one swift move, but when he did he only managed stab one of his own in the heart. Luckily there really was no heart on him (that couldn't be regenerated) but the sword still hurt like hell. There was comfort when it was taken out, but that was short-lived when all of the Hunter's realized that none of them had retrieved the sword.

"He did it…" The sixth Hunter looked around for Trunks. He flew around along the ground, wondering exactly where the boy had gone.

"Looking for me?" asked a man in hiding. Hunter instantly was in the spot where the sound came from, but when he arrived there was nothing there. In a flash he remembered how Gotenks had played the same game with him just before he killed him. That more than pissed off the Buu-droid. If Trunks thought he was going to repeat history exactly…what was that sound? Around Hunter small pieces of what looked like very thin paper were falling. They were, of course, the remains of his army of clones.

"…Trunks." This time Hunter felt him in the sky, and this time that's exactly where he was. Trunks was motionless, serious look on his face, his sword held in one hand and the tip pointing right between Hunter's eyes.

"Now I'm going to decapitate you, shred you into bits, and fry your every remain."

"Don't get overconfi-" Hunter was finding it hard to talk with Trunks fist knocking on his jaw like a door. With sword mastery that would take years for a normal man years to obtain Trunks sliced and diced the last Hunter into a million and one pieces, leaving only the head.

"Did you say something about being overconfident?"

"You don't think you can really defeat me this easily, do you? I will come back, and stronger than before."

"Don't bother; I sick of seeing you. I'm sick of you threatening everyone I hold dear. I sick of your face. Hunter, you are defeated. Not by a fusion, but by me. Remember that, Hunter, when you go to the afterlife. You were defeated by me, and no one else. Do you think you can handle that? Knowing that you have no more excuses? This is it. If you have anything to say, say it now. Your death is eminent." Trunks shifted the sword to his left hand. His right hand he pointed at Hunter, closing the thumb, pinky and ring finger together. The index and middle fingers were slightly crooked.

"That was a nice speech, Trunks. I have to commend you. You have done remarkably well. Don't you just hate it when the bad guy always has the advantage though?"

"If you think you have the advantage, you are mistaken. In fact, any attempt to regenerate your body can easily be stopped by this." Trunks made the growing energy ball flash with power to assure Hunter that he would use it at a moment's notice. Hunter still was unafraid.

"That's all fine and good, Trunks, but that doesn't change the fact that I know something that you don't…"

"Why should I care?"

"Because it has to do with why I want to kill you." That silenced trunks. Hunter had been after him for so long that he had never gotten to find out why Trunks wanted to kill him. Dr. Boo didn't seem to have any interest in him, so why was Hunter always trying to 'hunt' him down? In his current state Hunter had nothing to lose, and neither did Trunks. There was no reason not to let him talk. Still Trunks was getting a bad feeling that he wasn't going to like what he heard.

"Tell me then; why do you want to kill me? What have I ever done to you to make you hate me so much that my life must end in agony for you to be satisfied?"

"Because, dear Trunks, it was you that gave me life."

"…" It wasn't until a couple of seconds later that Trunks realized the look of confusion on his own face. Hunter began to smirk evilly, obviously enjoying it.

"You really are dense, aren't you? Let me spell it out so that even someone with your limited mental capabilities can understand. I am a Buu-droid. Dr. Boo created me. You know that already. A Buu-droid is made up of Buu and an Android. Buu you've already met; I've heard you are good friends."

"Hardly."

"It doesn't matter. An Android is made up of a human with robotic parts. That wasn't going to cut it in the Doctor's design, so he used something more powerful than a human."

"…A Saiyan."

"I'd stick a golden star on your head, but you might get ki happy if I tried to regenerate my arms and I wouldn't be able to finish my story. You are correct. I was made from a Saiyan as well…but that's not the best part. I was made from the most unlikely of sources."

"Unlikely…?"

"Any idiot with half a brain knows that Goku and Vegeta are the strongest Saiyans. They are also full-blooded. They would be the prime candidates for Buu-droids, but the Doctor had other plans. He figured that if the Buu-droids job was to keep the others occupied while he used them as his pawns, then the Buu-droid should be more like them."

"You are talking in circles. Get to the point."

"Besides Goku and Vegeta, you and Goten are the most obvious threats. Therefore the Doctor decided to make the Buu-droid from you two." Trunks almost jumped back 2 feet, the shock almost taking over. Had he not been careful with his reaction Hunter might have gotten away. The bodiless head, though, made no attempt to move.

"You were made from Gotenks…?" Trunks asked himself more than anyone.

"If only I were that lucky. It seems the Doctor couldn't do the process with a fusion. The power was too great. He instead decided to use the two of you. There was a problem with that too."

"I suppose you are going to tell me," asked Trunks sarcastically, but with a serious tone in his voice.

"Why not? You're such a good friend. Goten's DNA wasn't playing nice with yours. Despite that fact that you two fuse so easily the Doctor couldn't combine the two DNA strips together. They didn't want to cooperate. They kept fighting. So the Doctor had to throw one away and keep the strongest. Trunks, I never knew that your genes could kick ass like that!"

"…Kami no…"

"Kami had nothing to do with this one, Trunks. You did. You gave me life, Trunks, though the magic of modern science you allowed me to take my first breath. Trunk…I love you." The sadistic, sarcastic, and all around mean smile that Hunter showed looked like it would never stop going up.

"YOU BASTARD!!!" The ki ball that had started to lose energy exploded to about three times its original size. "NO WAY! I COULDN'T HAVE…YOU CAN'T BE…!"

"Face it, dad; I'm you, just a lot more handsome." The last thing Hunter saw was a large ball of light incinerated his head, melting it away.

**********

  



	8. The New Level Of Namek

Fusion…HA! 2- The Dead Zone

Part 8- The New Level of Namek

There was no word to explain what was going through 18's head. The possessed android had the expression of horror implanted on his façade. It was all because of the Namek.

Piccolo hadn't been much of a threat. He never had been. Once upon a time people might have seen him and worried about his power, but with the likes of the fusion to deal with, Boo had never considered Piccolo as one of the elite that had to be crushed. He was always just there. Luckily for the Namek he happened to be away during Boo's first escape from the Dead Zone. Boo would have killed him there. That was part of the reason Piccolo was chosen to follow him into the Dead Zone. Boo didn't have the chance to kill him before, so would do it now… or so was his intentions.

Piccolo had changed quite a bit since coming into the Dead Zone. He still had no hair, but his power level was rising exponentially. That in itself didn't bother Boo. Because of his overwhelming strength he and his family had dealt with this kind of 'uprising' before. Someone from a no-name planet that he was having fun destroying would step forth to fight. Boo would drag it out just for that moment when all hope seemed lost. That's when the fighter would get a huge boost of energy (Boo still had no idea where this came from). This is where the pink demon won his academy awards. He would allow everyone to believe he was actually being beaten (the fools). The warrior would get confident and use his most powerful attack, whatever it happened to be. Boo would be struck by it, and allow his body to become mauled. Then the warrior would give him some long speech about how his evil was coming to an end, yadda yadda yadda. Boo would then heal himself quickly, showing the futileness of the attack. The heart breaking in each and every one of the inhabitants was priceless. He could almost hear their collective hearts breaking. Getting bored with the game Boo would just finish off the shocked fighter and call it a day. He couldn't do that with Piccolo right now.

The part of Piccolo's change that bothered Boo the most was the fact that his power increase was beginning to rival his own power. How was inconsequential. 18 knew that if Piccolo could beat him he wouldn't get his chance to exact his revenge on the fusion.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," remarked Piccolo. His appearance had been slightly altered. He had crescent moon shaped black padding over his now white gi. His belt had also gone black and was longer, tied tightly around his waist and having extra slack hanging off to his side. As if the clothing wasn't enough a mix of white and black energy was crackling all around him, giving the impression of lethal fireworks.

"You are confident; that will be your downfall."

"No. It is your overconfidence, but you don't fool me. You are worried. You can't quite figure out the extent of my power yet. Live with it, Boo. You won't see it until it's too late." Piccolo approached him, almost stalking him. The ki he was giving off was uncanny.

"I was going to make this quick on you, but I think I'll torture you first." He wasn't fooling anybody, least of all himself. 18 was clearly afraid to face Piccolo on a level playing field. He didn't want to let it on, but the Namek was very good at detecting things like that. There really was no hiding it.

"Don't think you can talk your way out of this one. We will fight. You won't be opening any portals just yet, unless you really want to face your brother knowing you failed…" Piccolo blocked the ki ball fired in response to his verbal taunting. It had hit its mark, as he knew it would. Boo had a thing about being stronger than his brother and Piccolo had sensed it. Using it against him was beyond easy; insulting his pride was the most effective way to go. If Piccolo kept it up then Boo wouldn't fight with a clear head. That would make it a short fight.

"Die!" Boo lunged forward with a punch. He didn't realize how much he really did telegraph it. Piccolo didn't even bother to waste energy dodging it. With a slight pivot on his foot and a jerk of his arm he landed a blow right to 18's mouth, nearly caving it in. 18 made a bunch of muffled noises, probably cursing the Namek.

"Shut up! I am tired of your superior attitude!" He let his arm return to his side. His contempt for the demon went as far as to make him not even look in the same direction.

"You don't tell me what to do!" 18 attacked again, this time attempting a kick that was easily blocked before it really got off the ground. 18 hissed, irritated with his attacks not getting the chance to get half way done before they were halted. 18 fired a volley of point-blank range ki balls, hoping and wishing that at least one would hit the damn Namek. None did. The one's that he didn't block with a single hand were fried instantly by the black and white energy that had begun to consume Piccolo's body.

"It's time to teach you a lesson, Boo. Your kind, who use your infinite power for your own gain, don't believe that any rules apply to you. Well I'm going to apply them myself." Piccolo silently closed his eyes and opened his hands wide. Then he touched them together in front of himself, making sure the fingernails were the only parts in contact with each other.

"You won't get a chance to do anything!" 18 raised a hand to the sky and created a large, house sized ball. An evil grin spun its way onto his face. He was about to throw it when it all of a sudden lost energy. Undaunted 18 filled it back to its original form, but yet again it lost energy. 18 looked up at it and couldn't believe what he saw. The energy ball he created was being drained by the mysterious energy that Piccolo was wielding. That wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that it was not only being drained from him, but that it was being used by Piccolo, pouring more into his attack.

"Now do you see how fruitless this all is? Do you see what you and your brother are doing is pointless? Give it up now, and it will be less painful when they erase your memory."

BOOM! The energy in Piccolo's hands almost exploded forth, but he held onto it. The violent shaking could be felt for miles around (not that there was anyone to feel it). Boo was amazed that not only could Piccolo generate that kind of power, but that he was also able to control it without it exploding and killing him. That would have been a nice little plus for Boo, but Piccolo wasn't the type to lose control like that. From the little time he had spent with the Namek he was able to discern that.

_I have to attack him somehow. If I just wait for him to release his energy then I'm sure to be killed. I've got to pull together my own power and repel his ki!_ Boo was ready to get one of those bursts of energy that he made fun of so much. He clawed his hands and moved them closer together. Starting with a single pinpoint spot between his palms he began to build the makings of a Super Blast.

"Be scared now, Namek. You won't find it so easy to defeat me when I am fighting back as I should. I can be an overwhelming foe. Are you sure that you want to go through with this battle?" Boo punctuated that point by flaring the ki ball in his hand, almost doubling its size. Piccolo was completely unimpressed.

"And give you the satisfaction of knowing you got away from something you couldn't win? Not in this lifetime. Too bad for you that this is the only one you'll live in." 

"Grrrrrrr…"

"Your instincts should have told you already that you are outmatched, Boo. Your brother would know that by now. Are you really that thick headed to believe that your pathetic excuse for an attack will in anyway save you from me?" Boo froze completely, not believing what Piccolo had just said. Somehow the Namek had read his mind. How could that be?

_How did he do that? How did he…no! He didn't. He was just stating that. He didn't read my mind. There is no need to worry…no need. He is only a Namek; they aren't a warrior race. He can't defeat me. I will win._ The evil smile returned to 18's face as he regained confidence.

"I'm only a Namek, eh? Want to stake your life on that?"

**********

The hospital was very quiet. Dr. Boo had made sure of that when he arrived with his wife, Aspa. Devil powered herself up to make the foundation of the building rumble. That was more than enough to convince the residents of the hospital not to make any noise. Dr. Boo had his wife admitted to the largest room possible. Devil was sent inside to watch over the sleeping princess after the doctor's stabilized her condition. Dr. Boo sat right outside the door, rubbing his eyes. When he took his hands away from his face there were three new people standing in front of him.

"Hello, Goten. Rae, b-chan, it's nice to see you again." The Doctor didn't bother to get up, seeing no point to it. "Let me guess; you are here for Devil."

"No," replied Goten. "We want Videl back! Release her."

"When I am sure that my wife will survive, boy, you can rest assured that I will release her. She will have served her purpose." Doctor Boo finally stood up and faced the trio. Goten looked like he was going to ground his teeth into dust. Rae was giving him a somewhat angry look, and b-chan was doing the same.

"Let her go, Boo," said Rae. "Your wife is safe here."

"You don't need her anymore. You can stay here yourself, Boo," The Doctor seemed slightly surprised that b-chan would make such a statement.

"You would have your own mother stay here unprotected, Android B?" Goten was completely taken aback by the revelation. Rae half knew it was true and didn't let it bother her. B-chan knew the truth as well, but despite that she didn't see it fair that someone be made a slave because of it.

"You have no right to do this, and stop calling me that!"

"Why do you oppose me, Android B? Did I not give you life?"

"WHY DO YOU KEEP CALLING ME THAT?! I AM NOT AN ANDROID! I AM YOUR DAUGHTER! CALL ME BY MY NAME!" The nearby nurses and doctors decided to run at this point. Remembering the Doctor's earlier warning about noise they could see nothing but bad things happening now. The ducked for cover. Boo, however, made no move to make Devil come out and follow through on his threat.

"Of all my creations only one still does as ordered. Even after a near death experience he still fights on." Boo held his hands behind his back and started to pace. Rae and Goten knew of whom he was talking about. B-chan did also, but she wasn't taking it the same way as the others.

"You can't keep destroying people's lives…" b-chan stared down at the floor. Without warning she darted for the entrance and took off into the sky in a rush. Goten and Rae were baffled. Boo sat back down and started rubbing his eyes again.

"You know where she went, don't you," inquired Goten.

"Yes I do, boy. She's always been very headstrong. Since I just reminded her about a part of her past that she would most likely rather forget she is going to try to stop a certain fight."

"…You are talking about Hunter and Trunks, aren't you?"

"Correct. Now as far as your friend goes I will make you a deal. One of you comes back with me to my laboratory to return Devil back to her original state. The other stays here to watch over my wife. I will not agree to do anything unless those conditions are agreed to." Goten and Rae thought it over momentarily. Rae was the first to speak.

"Fine. I'll stay here with Aspa. Goten, you follow Dr. Boo back to his laboratory. Since you know Videl a lot better than I it would probably help if you were the first person she saw." Goten nodded, agreeing with Rae's plan.

"Okay. I'll take him back. Sit tight. I'll return as soon as possible." Goten gave her a quick kiss and practically yanked Dr. Boo out of his chair. He barely had enough time to call Devil. The three of them were gone in a matter of seconds, leaving Rae in the hospital with Aspa. She entered the room and closed the door behind herself.

**********

17 wasn't having a good day. Chima and Goku were really laying into him. He was being bounced around like a cue ball, ricocheting off of each of their attacks just to be hit by another. He had finally landed on the ground, and was on one knee. He had to rethink his strategy, or more accurately come up with one.

_These two are tough. I don't understand. I should be much more powerful than this. What is going on? That Saiyan male should be child's play at his current level, yet he is making me look like fool. Something is utterly wrong here._ 17 hopped up slowly, letting himself float down to the ground. When his foot touched he took off, blazing a trail at Goku. The Saiyan had no real time to move and would have surely been hit had Chima not fired at shot between the two. 17 stopped abruptly, seemingly frozen in time as he stared at the female fusion. Goku saw the gaping opening and reacted.

KA-POW! WHAM!

Two hits and 17 was back on the floor again, a face full of dirt and a mouth full of the same. This was no longer a real fight. They could finish him off at any time. They were slightly toying with him now.

"Have you given up yet, Buu," asked Chima, "or do we have to convince you a bit more? Don't you understand that you cannot defeat us?" Buu spit out a load of dirt and wiped his mouth.

"You can't defeat me; I am all-powerful."

"Whatever. You've already been de-" At that very moment a large ball of energy crashed right into Goku, throwing him into Chima. The two fell back and onto the floor.

"What was that?" Even Buu was confused. It certainly hadn't been him that had thrown the attack (although he probably wouldn't admit it). Everyone's attention turned to the sky where their answer was, hanging in the air with his hands on his hips. It was Android A.

"Goku, did you really think you could get away from our battle? The only thing you did was to give me a chance to power up to my highest level. That's all. I will defeat you." Goku got off of Chima, who was rolling her eyes.

"Where do these people come from?" She had had enough of the interruptions and the idiots that were plaguing the battle now. "You, my friend, are going to die. Then I am going…oh no." Chima frantically began searching around for 17, but he was no where to be found. The damn demon had escaped. Chima used her sixth sense to track him down. He couldn't have gotten too far. She had to stop him before he managed to do something that she would regret letting him do. In a few seconds she found him, streaking toward two other ki signatures. One was very familiar. The other was not. Chima put two and two together and figured the situation out. "Buu is going to the battle between Hunter and Trunks. He thinks he's going to absorb them to become stronger, but I'm not going to let him do that." Chima flared up her ki; she had a lot of ground to make up. Buu might not be as strong as she might, but his speed was nothing to laugh at. It was going to be a close call. She took off without another second of hesitation. That left Goku, Android A, and Krillan. The bald headed monk had been watching the battle from the sidelines. Even Goku's encouraging words couldn't convince him to join the fight against Buu.

"Uh…what just happened?" he asked himself more than anybody else. Krillan scratched his head, piecing the ultra quick scenes together slowly so he could understand them. One thing he was able to understand immediately was that Goku was now alone (besides him) and the new threat was Android A, who seemed hell bent on killing him. "Doesn't the 'kill Goku' motive ever get old?"

"Don't worry, little man,' responded A. "After I'm done with your friend here I'll be sure to make my next motive to kill you. Feel better?"

"…Much." Android A approached Goku, who was now back on his feet.

"Do you have any idea what you just did? You allowed Buu to get away!" The frustration on Goku's face was very small, but it was visibly tensing his muscles.

"You have more to worry about than that when I show you true power."

"…You're just as bad as Vegeta was…"

"Don't put me in the same league as that commoner!" A ignited a wave of energy around himself and shot into the air. Above his head he generated a house-sized energy ball that Goku determined was surely a threat. The sphere was thrown and Goku used an overhead blast of his own to stop it in mid air. Soon it was going in reverse and was travelling away from the earth.

_That was close. I can't let his ego get out of control like that again or he might be too quick for me._

"Don't forget about me, Son Goku!" Streaking toward the Saiyan was the android, a very unpleasant look on his face. It was as if he was drunk on his own energy and hell bent on proving himself. Goku slipped out of the way of the first charge, but Android A switched directions so fast that he couldn't dodge the second. He took the hit right to the stomach. A whipped around and kicked Goku's right shin and made him fall backward to the floor. By the time Goku hit he had already positioned himself above again. With a maniacal laugh he raised a hand and created another large ball.

"I can't dodge that!" Goku placed his hand on his head to teleport behind Android A but the unstoppable machine rammed a knee into his gut and reappeared back in his original position within the span of a split second. Now gasping for air Goku couldn't retaliate or move.

"Now, Son Goku, you-"

"Kamehameha!" Krillan launched a powerful beam and it hit its intended target. Android A was enveloped in smoke, but Krillan knew that it wasn't a fatal attack. It didn't matter, though. He had bought Goku some time.

"…So the monk wants to play hero?" Krillan eyes scanned the area for Android A. Even though there was still a thick cloud above him for some reason he knew that wasn't the machine's hiding place. 

"I'll do anything for Goku! I owe him my life." A crack on a twig not too far away alerted Krillan of a presence. He created a Kienzan and prepared to throw it, but there was nothing there.

"Poor Krillan…" said a voice from somewhere nearby. "You don't have any clue where I am. How about a clue?" Krillan waited for A to finish. "I'm right-" Krillan spun around and threw the Kienzan with all of his might, hoping to hit Android A right behind him, but there was no one there either.

"What?"

"As I was about to say… I'm right over here…with your friend." Krillan turned around again and saw Android A standing over Goku. Goku was doing better but, just as Krillan had been earlier, was in no condition to fight just yet. That didn't bode well for Krillan. "If you want him to live than take him from me."

"Your damn right I will!" Krillan lifted off the ground with intentions of building his courage to attack, but in the end he never made it over 2 inches off of the ground. A firm knee was planted inside of his own stomach. He now found himself in the same situation as Goku, only he hadn't put up as much of a fight as the Saiyan.

"Is that all? I figured you'd give more of a show than that." Krillan coughed, trying to open the windpipes that felt sealed shut. Android A picked him up by the collar. "You weaklings are all alike. You are nothing but bothersome ants that keep getting in the way. You should be exterminated."

"NO!" A rush of intense Super Saiyan power radiated from Goku as he raised his fighting level past that of the limits of SSJ2. 

"Damn him!" A flung the limp body of Krillan at Goku, trying to buy himself some time to think. Goku caught him by the back part of his shirt and set him down. Even being on the floor Krillan was at level with Goku's elongated hair. "You are going to die now!" Android A zanzokened right in front of Goku and started punching away. A single finger blocked each one. Finally Goku formed a ki ball right where A's hand went. It exploded, along with the hand.

"You don't know what you've done…"

WHAM!

The shock waves that the punch produced in A were so severe that he blew to bits on contact. The debris spread along the ground, rattling about for a few seconds. Krillan glanced up at it and was hit in the head with a bolt.

"Ouch!" Krillan rubbed his head and Goku dropped completely out of Super Saiyan mode. He knelt by his friend and helped him up. "Not bad, Goku. Why didn't you do that sooner?"

"I didn't know I was going to have to. When I finally was able to comprehend just how much stronger he had gotten I knew that I could overwhelm him in SSJ3." Krillan peered around at the proof of the lying on the ground.

"You sure did that, but now we have to worry about 17." Goku nodded.

"I can teleport us to Chima, but I can't lock on to Buu and 17. It has to be the fact that he's taken over an Android body." Goku placed his fingers on his forehead and searched out Chima's ki. "We have to stop him. If he absorbs either Trunks or Hunter he might become too strong."

"Can he absorb while he's in 17's body?"

"I don't know, but let's not find out the hard way." Krillan agreed and put his hand on Goku's back just before they teleported to Chima."

**********

It was finally over. Trunks had been victorious over his archrival, and he could finally rest. There were other battles going on around him, but that didn't really matter right now. He had won. No one could take these few precious moments from him.

"Trunks." Except Vegeta. The Saiyan Prince lowered down to the ground. Trunks confronted him, not knowing what he would hear. Vegeta tended to be unpredictable and say the farthest thing that anyone would expect, especially in situations such as this.

"Father…"

"You've done well, but you aren't done by a long shot."

"What do you mean?" Trunks frantically asked. How could he have not finished off the job? Hunter was dead…wasn't he." Trunks then remembered that Hunter was 'dead for sure' before, and what happened? He came back and this battle was the end result.

"He's not dead. He's behind that rock mountain over there. You left pieces of him on the ground. He is a Buu-droid, so regenerating isn't going to be a problem." Trunks couldn't believe he had been so careless. It hadn't cost him anything but Hunter's life, but that was bad enough.

"I can't stop him from regenerating either. He'd probably just move. He knew that I had forgotten about the rest of his body. That's why he told me what he did." Vegeta nodded.

"Buu is on his way. I can feel it. You have time but very little. Decide what is more important. This is your battle, so I'll fight him. You decide."

"Decide what?" Vegeta was already too far-gone, leaving Trunks stranded on the ground waiting for Hunter and not knowing what the hell his father was talking about. Confusion wasn't needed in a fight.

"LUCY! I'M HOME!" yelled Hunter from the other side of the rock mountain. Trunks could see him peeking around the side, then ducking back behind. Games! He was playing games!

"Damn it, Hunter! Fight!" Trunks started above his head what was going to be an energy ball big enough to shatter the rock, but then stopped. He was going to let Hunter make the first move. He still needed to figure out exactly what the hell his father was talking about.

"What da matter, daddy?" Hunter asked in a kid voice. "Don'tcha like me anymore?" A vein inside Trunks' forehead threatened to break out and put Hunter's eyes out.

"You disgust me, Hunter. Everything you are and stand for. Why don't you just die?!"

"Because I'm such a people person. Trunks, when are you going to understand that you can't beat me? I'd have to give up and die before you would be able to win this battle. Understand that before you try dicing me into bits next time. By the way…I think I might just kill you for that stunt."

"So what else is new. You were going to do that anyway."

"This is true, Trunks, so I guess it isn't new. Maybe I'll poke you in the eye before I do it. That'll make things even. Yes, that sounds good."

"Don't you ever get sick of hearing your own voice, Hunter?" Hunter scratched his head and looked up, obviously trying to be funny. His comedy was lost on Trunks as always. It was at this point that Trunks finally sensed the approaching Buu. There were also a couple of other ki's coming as well. That and his father was going to join the party. That left Trunks and Hunter alone again. This time could be different.

"Hey, Trunks!" Once again Trunks turned his attention over to Hunter, who demanded it like a 6-year-old. "Why don't you like me?"

"Damn you, Hunter! I'm going to finish you off like I should have before." Trunks was gone in an instant, homing in on the stationary Hunter. Trunks nailed him with a heavy blow to the chest and Hunter exploded…

"Wha-" The bits of Hunter sailed past Trunks and collected into a body that had been rushing him the whole time. Trunks then knew that Hunter had done a split form and left the other body as a decoy. He stopped mid-flight to block, but he couldn't even do that. Hunter dropkicked him across the face and he went barreling through stone and dirt. Hunter couldn't stop laughing at the scene.

"Nice dive, Trunks. Out of 10 I'll give you an 8. Care to try again?"

"No…" Trunks climbed out of the hole and to his feet. That sneak attack had been pretty effective. He was shaken up by it, but it wasn't going to keep him down. Trunks still had confidence that his first defeat of Hunter in the battle was not as Hunter liked to believe it was. Trunks was sure that he had been the reason Hunter was able to call himself a family.

"Then let's start the real deal. You know all about me now, Trunks. There can't possibly be two of us in this world, can there? One must die, and I choose you." Hunter cupped his hands to his side. "I'll be original, though. You want to see my true power? I'll be happy to show you." Hunter flew backward, staying in the same hand position. Streaks of blue light began to shine from his hands.

"…He's going to use the Kamehameha." Trunks smirked and copied his motion.

_If he thinks that he is going to beat me with Goku's move then it's not going to happen. I'll win out this battle simply because I've practiced the move much more than he has. Hunter has bitten off more than he can chew this time._ Similar streaks of light began to gather around Trunks' enclosed hands. That brought a roar of laughter from the belly of Hunter.

"This is good! It truly is. Do you really think I'm going to use that pathetic move on you? How original is that? No, no, Trunks. My plans are far more grand!" In an instant all of the energy around Hunter tripled. The ki surrounding him expanded to the nearby mountains and promptly flattened them. Trunks rose his own ki, but it wasn't nearly as high as Hunter's was.

"You don't scare me, Hunter!" Trunks squeezed out more power for his blast, but his Super Saiyan power was reaching its limit. At this rate he wouldn't last long.

"I don't have to scare you, Trunks. All I have to do is fry you."

"Not a chance. Kamehameha!" Trunks aimed his hands and released his beam. It bore a hole through the air that was directed at Hunter.

"If that's all you have for me you might as well give up now. MEGATON BLAST!" Hunter also aimed his hands and released his beam. However the difference was ridiculous. Hunter's blast was almost 5 times larger than that of Trunks and when the collided it proved that it was that much stronger as well. The overpowering beam was moments away from reaching its target and Trunks was caught dead in the middle.

**********

Piccolo's attack was nearly complete. His hands were constantly being jackhammered by the trapped ki, but the assault would only last a few more seconds. Then Boo would have to deal with it…now. Piccolo released the attack, nearly losing balance in the recoil. The mega wave of ki tore a line through the Dead Zone and streaked right at 18, who now knew that he couldn't block a thing. There was an ensuing explosion, and then quiet darkness as the smoke took over what little light there was.

_Damn! That was too out of control. I can't tell if that did it or not. I haven't trained enough in this new form to wield the power as I should. I'll have to remember that. If that was the end of him I'll have a long time to train while I figure my way out of here._ That seemed to be the new problem. Piccolo had to find his way out of the Dead Zone.

"Maybe I shouldn't have killed him." A quick joke from Piccolo seemed out of place, but who was going to tell. The smoke cleared and all that was left was a shell of the body of 18. Upon closer inspection Piccolo saw that it was more than a shell; it was the entire body and 18 was breathing faintly. She opened a single eye and winked.

"…Thanks."

"How sweet." Piccolo swung around and came face to face with the demon behind the possession. He wasn't inside the body of 18 this time. He was simply Boo. The figure was imposing. He was one of the few people that Piccolo had to look up to in order to be face to face. That didn't mean he was scared, though. Far from it.

"You survived. I'm not surprised. If I had controlled the blast more accurately then you wouldn't be standing here."

"Possibly, but it's your fault; you were too worried about the Android to kill me." Piccolo flinched, proving that Boo was right. "I figured it out at the last moment and just blocked. I barely took a scratch. The Android looks like she might need some repairs. This is all thanks to you, of course. Give yourself a hand." Boo clapped his hands together, admiring the Namek's work.

"Your mind games won't work on me, Boo, and I'm not going to give you a chance to collect your power together either. You are going to fight me now." Piccolo swiped his hand hand in a half circle like he was grabbing something out of the air and then did a throwing motion, expelling a ball of ki. Boo countered with one of his own.

"This is going to a bit harder on you than that, Namek!" Boo pointed into the air with a finger. A small point appeared. Piccolo recognized it right away.

"You didn't…" Piccolo had been getting some mixed signals from Boo, like his ki wasn't pure. It had happened when Buu had absorbed people before as well. That much Piccolo knew. Boo had to have absorbed someone, but the question was who? That was easy to answer now. Boo absorbed Frieza.

"Scared?" For a moment he had been, but then he remembered that he had surpassed Frieza long ago. Piccolo let his headbutt do the talking for him. Boo grasped at his face, trying to clear his slightly blurred vision. He smacked away Piccolo's next punch, rose higher in the air, and sweep kicked him right in the face. Piccolo recovered from the attack remarkably quick and delivered the punch that was blocked the first time. Boo floated back, firing a spread of ki that resembled a collection of small lasers. The cover fire worked and Piccolo backed off, defending against the barrage, giving Boo a moment's peace to think things over.

_This isn't going well. At this rate he'll simply keep attacking me and draining my energy until I have nothing left. Then he'll kill me. I have to be able to recharge back to my original level, but he knows that. Piccolo won't make the mistake of letting do so, which means that I have to make a way. _

By this time Piccolo had created an energy buffer to distance the attack that Boo was using. It gave him enough room to fly around and charge. Boo dodged the flurry of punches and kicks, though it was no easy task. He backed up again and threw a ki ball at Piccolo. At the same time he made another one and smashed it in Piccolo's face, trying to burn his eyes out. Piccolo wasn't able to defend against it, but his own power saved his sight. The burning light did disorient him a bit, which once again gave Boo time. This time he had already decided what he was going to do.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Piccolo, but I think I'm going to have to say adieu. You have fun with the Android in your new home. You might be staying here for an eternity or two." Even though fighting Piccolo was taxing and demanding Boo managed to open up a Dead Zone portal with no problem. Piccolo couldn't see it straight, but he knew that's what it was. He attacked with a ki blast, but Boo wasn't waiting for him to try to keep him from leaving. He was long gone, and the portal long closed.

"Damn!" Piccolo shook his head. "He got away! I could have killed him if I had just been more aggressive. This power…I can't control it just yet." Piccolo closed his eyes and powered down to his normal level. While he had some time he had to check on 18. The news was good; she was nearly back to herself.

"I feel like I was hit by a brick wall…" She held her head, indicating a headache.

"That's my fault. When Boo was in your body I had to fight him, whatever the cost. He managed to get away; he and his brother are very good at things like that I guess." Piccolo peered down at the shorter Android 18. "That's not the problem now. He left the Dead Zone and closed the portal. He's loose in the world and we can't try to stop him until we get out of here."

"Good luck." Piccolo nodded, understanding what she meant. He felt the same way. How were they supposed to escape? He thought back to when Buu escaped from the Room of Spirit and Time. He had done so simply by using his power and allowing it to rip around freely. Piccolo could do something like that, but there was no guarantee that he would open up a portal to earth. They could end up anywhere.

"Well, 18, we seem to be at a crossroads. We have two choices. The first one is that we can wait in here until Goku and the others are done battling the Boo brothers. It may or may not go in our favor. If they can't defeat the demons then we may be here a while."

"I'm sure that you can come up with a better plan than that, Piccolo." 18 rubbed her head one last time. "I don't like the idea of staying here at all, never mind waiting for someone to come. What is your other plan? It does include some course of action by us, I suppose."

"Yes. We try to combine our powers. I realize that you are not empowered by ki energy, but that doesn't mean that we can't try to link them together. If we concentrate the energy in one place then we might be able to break out of this dimensions binds. The fabric might rip back into earth, and then we would simply step through.

"But there's a catch, isn't there?"

"Yes."

"I can figure the rest out." 18 sighed before finishing. "We can try that, but we can't tell if it will work. Not only that, but if we do open a portal we don't know if it will bring us back to earth. We could end up somewhere in space, or in another dimension. That about it?"

"Right. It all depends on luck."

"I never liked depending on luck, Piccolo." 

"Me either." Piccolo clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. "But I won't allow that guy to destroy the earth! That and I have a little unfinished fight with him. He ran away this time. By the time we find him again he will probably be much stronger, probably too much for me to handle, but I will finish what I started."

"You seem more determined than ever." 18 said, examining Piccolo's change in demeanor. "I haven't dealt with either Boo as much as you have. Did he do something to you that would make you want to kill him anymore than you normally would?"

"No. He just keeps coming back." 18 closed her eyes and tipped her head forward. She understood.

"He's like a reoccurring nightmare. No matter how many times you stand up to him and win he can't be defeated. He just keeps coming back and back and back until you can't stand it anymore." Piccolo began to float forward. After a few paces he stopped.

"I think that's enough thinking about how I feel about Boo and his brother. Now it's time to get back in the hunt. Are you ready?"

"What do I do?" Piccolo crossed his legs in mid air and settled himself in his Indian-style pose.

"Meditate, and we will combine our powers."

**********

17 started one of his maniacal laughs again, head swiveling from side to side until it resting in an upward-looking position on the right side.

"Vegeta…"

"That's Prince Vegeta of the Saiyan race. You won't interrupt this battle." Vegeta and 17 were about 20 yards apart, but the gaze between the two met at the same spot. Vegeta knew that Goku and Chima were on their way with Krillan. 17 knew the same.

"Let me make this more of an even battle." 17 let his body go limp and lifeless. For a few seconds nothing happened. Vegeta waited, ready for anything. Then he could hear a sludge-like sound. Then he saw it; the pink goo rising from the back of Buu. He was shedding the body of 17.

"You expect me to be impressed by that? I can defeat you as you are now with no problem." Vegeta believed that too. He had fought Buu when they originally met him, but that was only at SSJ2. Now he had full use of SSJ3. He could completely fill his aura, so Buu would be a thing of the past soon. That was until Vegeta felt his power start to rise… His expression said it all.

"I see you can feel my true strength. Don't worry; it gets better. This is just the beginning. Still want to fight, or do I have free passage to the spawn and the Saiyan?"

"You will not interfere with the battle between my son and his rival! I don't care how strong you think you have gotten!" Vegeta flared up to SSJ level. "He is a Saiyan, and when a Saiyan battles his rival there must be no outside interference!" Vegeta's power skyrocketed to SSJ2. "You have the gall to try to break a Saiyan code? That can not be tolerated!" Finally Vegeta reached SSJ3. "I am sick of you and your brother. Somehow I will end both of you. This nightmare will come to an end this time. You will be no more."

"Great speech! Encore!"

"And you will not mock me!" Vegeta launched himself off at Buu. "Honorless and prideless; you do not deserve to exist!" Buu stayed put, motioning for Vegeta to come. Just as he reached his target Vegeta zanzokened away. He reappeared behind Buu and zeroed in on the lower back with a sniping kick. Buu grabbed Vegeta's foot before it had a chance of connecting and twisted it, sending a streak of pain right up the leg. Vegeta's eyes widened and his mouth fell open like a bottomless pit, but no sound came out.

"I enjoy this the most," said Buu. "When the pain is so severe that you can't possibly express it with a scream." Buu released Vegeta's foot. "Now you understand that it is your pointless attacks that will not be tolerated." Buu smiled. "Oh look. The Calvary has arrived. The question is can they do a thing to stop me?" He turned to Vegeta who was lightly holding the spot above his ankle. "Well, can they Vegeta? You seem to want to talk so much. It's the only thing you do well. You mean to tell me that you don't have an answer?"

"I swear I will kill you, demon. I will find a way, and when that time comes I will make you scream out in pain and fear."

"Did you come up with that fairy tale on your own, Vegeta, or has Trunks been helping you with that?" In the next moment Goku and Chima landed on the ground. Krillan was about 20 seconds behind. They all stood behind Vegeta. Goku approached him and placed a hand on his back. It was promptly pushed off.

"Vegeta…your ankle…"

"I'll live…" Goku's eyes narrowed. He directed his attention to Boo, then back to Vegeta.

"You need a senzu. Here." Goku reached into his side of his boot and grabbed a small bean that he always carried with him. He handed it to Vegeta, who was more than a little hesitant to put anything that came from Goku's boot into his mouth. Goku finally coerced him to eat it, and in no time Vegeta's ankle was back to normal.

"Damn you, Kakarotto. You should have saved that." Vegeta turned to Buu again. Instead of a scowl Vegeta displayed his famous smirk. "Buu here is going to need that in a moment."

"You and what army?" The army of Goku, Chima, and Krillan stepped forward. "I see. Well if you think that you can beat me then attack. Just don't expect me to go easy on you at all." Goku raised his level up to SSJ3. Krillan powered up to his maximum. Chima flared up to SSJ level. They all levitated off of the ground. Vegeta sparked his newly revived SSJ3 power. With the determination to destroy all that remained of him the group took off. Their target; Buu.

**********


	9. Hunter, Ally Of Good

Fusion…HA! 2- The Dead Zone

Part 9- Hunter, Ally of Good

"What…how could he…" Hunter was frozen in place, in the same stance he was in when he fired the beam that was suppose to end the fight. There was no kidding about it. Hunter had decided to put an end to all the games. Trunks had started to become boring. But it didn't happen.

"What's the matter, Hunter? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Trunks stood tall, unscathed in the least by Hunter's powerful blast.

"You couldn't possibly survive that! It's impossible!" Hunter pulled away at his hair. It didn't really matter if he tore it out; he could just regenerate. That and it didn't matter because there were more important things to worry about…like Trunks.

"You underestimate me."

"Stop trying to make it sound so simple! You're hiding something…" Hunter took a few seconds to calm down and breathe, finally letting his senses get back in control. That's when he felt it. Trunks' ki was rising at that very moment. Not little by little, but by a lot. It was like he was reaching a whole new level. That was proven by the swirls of power surrounding the demi-Saiyan.

"Beating you has become a driving force for me. You aren't the only one who was hoping for a rematch, Hunter. This battle has importance for the both of us. While I can't stand you I know that I have to fight you, much as my father has to fight Son Goku." Hunter listened to Trunks' words, but still not able to comprehend Trunks' rising ki. "When you tried to kill me before I knew deep down that I could stay alive. You weren't really attempting to with all of you might. That last attack was your finisher, wasn't it?"

"Not a chance! If it was then you would be dead right now!"

"Who do you think you are fooling?!" Trunks rose into the air slowly, ki still rising albeit slowly now. Sparks of electricity were crawling along his form now. "I know you much better than I did before. You couldn't be showing more fear right now if you told me you were scared." Hunter gritted his teeth.

"Scared of you?! Give me more credit than that Trunks."

"You get what you deserve, Hunter, and I mean that in more ways than one." Trunks power up was done now, and it was a significant one. He had far exceeded his own level. Hunter, now thinking normally, could piece together that Trunks had indeed ascended to the next level. Trunks had reached Super Saiyan level 2. "I'm sick of you, Hunter. Unless you have something important to say then I suggest that you give up now. You and I both know that right now you don't stand a chance against me."

"Well then, Trunks, it looks like you just might have won this whole war. I could just give up right now, but that isn't my style. That, and I have yet another secret." Trunks sighed, more bored and agitated than anything.

"I'm sure you are going to share it with me right now."

"Because you asked so nicely I think I will. See Trunks I might have gotten my Saiyan genes from you, but up until now I've only used the powers I received from Boo. The reason being I hate everything about you. However I know when to put down a grudge for the betterment… of me. That's what I plan to do." Hunter grinned like he had a plan. Trunks went on the defensive, knowing that even though he was stronger Hunter could still pull something that would be a problem.

"So what exactly do you plan on doing? Using my own genes against me?" Trunks started to gather all of his power in his arms. "I might be making the same mistake that you made before, but I'm willing to risk it to rid the world of you."

"I plan on using your genes, Trunks, to go reach the level of Super Saiyan." Trunks faltered for only a moment, but Hunter was able to read it. Thankfully for Trunks, Hunter wasn't ready to attack just yet. He was too busy raising his fighting power. Trunks now was the one who couldn't believe what was going on. He had to remind himself that he was controlling enough power to kill his enemy…or was he.

"You end now!" Trunks made a series of motions with his hands, ending with them forming a diamond in between. "It's o-" The next few scenes passed by like a blur. Trunks had begun to actually expunge the ki from his body and into his hands. However Hunter's Super Saiyan power up must have been very quick, because he nearly collapsed the ground beneath him half a mile when he reached his high point. At that same time he torpedoed himself at Trunks, mashed his hands against that of his opponents, and stopped the blast from reaching more then five inches out with a return blast of his own. The beams fattened and widened to the height of their bodies.

"Pretty good, Trunks," said Hunter, not his usual carefree way, but in between the breaths he had to take to maintain his own beam. "I bet you didn't think I could do that. I can easily go Super Saiyan, and with my powers from Buu I am the most powerful Super Saiyan alive. Imagine if I had done this sooner."

"That's your fault! You had your chance, Hunter, and now we are even." Trunks squinted his eyes and turned his head away from the light that his ki was giving off. It was blinding, especially at such close range to such a big concentration of it.

"This truly is the end of the battle, Trunks! While this beam may not kill you, I know for a fact that you don't have any more power up surprises in you! If you can't beat me now you never will." Hunter strained and fought through the pain, pouring more of his ki into the attack. It pushed Trunks' beam back slightly (there wasn't much room to move anyhow) and applied more pressure to his already burning hands.

"Don't make this sound like my last chance, Trunks. You don't have anymore power ups either. You still have to prove yourself to me!" Trunks forced himself to force the beam over to Hunter's side.

"I do not have to prove a thing to you!" Hunter reached deep down and added more to his beam. This time all it did was even it out in the middle again, but it also made the head of the beam unstable. Trunks, still digging down deep himself to add more to his beam, was making his unstable.

"Are you ready to back down, Hunter? Do you think even you can survive a blast like this?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing, Trunks. You are human. I am not." Trunks forced himself to lock eyes with Hunter, despite the light. Hunter did the same, knowing that this meant just as much as any punch or kick that he could throw. It was a meeting of the minds, will against will. Both participants were hell bent on winning, each one pouring their heart out at that very moment, cursing the other for doing what they were. It stayed that way for almost a minute, neither one wanting to back down, neither one sure if they could do more. Then they both came to the same conclusion at the same time; I can do more.

**********

"Are you okay?" asked Rae. Aspa had been opening and closing her eyes for almost fifteen minutes now. It was a little confusing. Rae didn't know if she was slipping away or being full of life.

"Thank you for your concern…I am as well as someone that is dying can hope for…" Aspa took deep breathes in between each sentence, each one harder than the last to finish.

"How were you hurt? Did Dr. Boo do this to you?" Anger was welling up in Rae. Dr. Boo's influence had stretched far and wide. Aspa smiled and giggled, which surprised Rae. She took Rae's hand in her own, holding it close.

"It happened long ago, before he made either you or Hunter." Rae blinked. "You might know me better as…the computer voice you heard for so long while he was fusing Boo's genes into you."

"Yes…I do."

"Well that was me. I took care of most of the experiments; he allowed me to do that." Aspa closed her eyes and sighed. Rae, noticing her more relaxed look, shook her hand gently. Aspa peeked through one of her eyes.

"Please…don't-"

"Don't worry, Rae. I am here. I don't plan on going into any pearly white gates just yet." They smiled at each other and Aspa continued. "My husband, Dr. Yoshu Sun, had long since become obsessed with the Saiyan Son Goku. He witnessed his power long ago; that is why Goku was his original target."

"I know. We all do."

"Well I can tell you something that you don't know. Of the three Buu-droids, you are the only one with your original personality."

"I am?" Rae sounded almost like she didn't want to believe it. Aspa nodded ever so slightly, showing that she still had some kick left in her.

"Yes you are. You were the first one to undergo the fusion process. That was when I was in control of the entire thing. Dr. Boo was too busy with other parts of his plan to deal with the subjects, so I did. I told him I didn't agree with his plans, but if he wanted me to make his warriors, then I would do that. When it came time to work on you I couldn't simply let you go."

"Why not, Aspa?"  


"Because Rae," Aspa took a larger breath than normal. "Dr. Boo had basically taken you off of the streets after feeding you lines of whatever you wanted to hear at the moment. You knew the way to his laboratory. If you left he would have killed you. That I could not have stopped. He's become so cold hearted." A tear ran down the side of Aspa's face, followed by another on the opposite side.

"Aspa, what would make him so heartless?"

"It's best if I show you…" With what was the greatest difficulty of anything she had ever done, Aspa sat up in the bed. Rae tried to push her back down, but Aspa moved her hand away. "Just look at my back." Not sure what to make of the request Rae conceded and slowly opened the back of her gown. She almost jumped back at what she saw. Quickly she zipped it back up.

"That wound…that burn…"

"Yes, it is mortal. That's why I'm dying. It's not painful, but my energy is dripping out of it. Soon I won't have enough to talk, or even to breathe."

"No…" Rae grabbed Aspa's hand again. "How can this be? How did you get that?"

"It happened long ago during the battle with Cell…"

****

Flashback

It was a gloomy day. The countdown to the Cell games had already ended. Dr. Yoshu Sun and his wife Asparagus were in their self-designed/constructed home. Although Dr. Sun was a scientist he had knowledge of how to design buildings to his own specifications. Construction was simple; any large and heavy he needed to have carried or installed he would simply ask his wife, whom he lovingly called Aspa. She was a full-blooded Saiyan after all. With his plans and her general construction they finished in no time. That was helpful, seeing that they had their daughter to take care of. B-chan's nursery was one of the first rooms to be completed.

After the construction of the building Dr. Sun decided to concentrate his expertise on the recent androids. He knew they were human with robotic parts. Sun also knew that he could use such advancements to heal injuries and common incapacities. Day and night he worked on his research, not having a specimens to work off of. Aspa took care of the baby, doing all that a women does to both raise the child and not go crazy at the same time.

Some amount of time into the tournament their home started to get feedback from the power rumbling from Cell and those fighting him. Dr. Sun had already kept this in mind and made sure that no wave of ki was going to knock over his home. He also had a shield capable of buffering small ki waves. As long as they weren't super powerful the waves wouldn't even make it to the house.

Aspa had taken an interest in the Cell game (like everyone else she knew that the world's future depended on it). Although most of those who were part of the Cell game (who the hell is Mr. Satan again?!) she did recognize one person immediately. It had been years since Planet Vegeta had been destroyed by Frieza, but as soon as she saw him Asparagus recognized her Prince of the Saiyan race, Vegeta. Seeing him brought back memories of her old planet and how much she missed it. It also brought back the memory of how she had stolen one of the pods to go exploring. No sooner had she left the planet's atmosphere then the damn thing lost almost all power. Only thing left on was life support. It was no doubt a safety feature meant to keep people from stealing them. Aspa wished she had known that before. She drifted in space quite a while, hooked up to the pod to receive the minimum nourishment required for her to stay alive, until she came across Earth. It was the planet's coordinates that had been programmed into the system. The pod crashed down, leaving Aspa stranded in the middle of nowhere. That's when she met Dr. Yoshu Sun. He cared for her, and his kindness and humor pleased her. They fell in love, and soon they had a child.

Even after the TV camera's lost tracking of the Cell game Aspa still watched it on the 3d Scouter. Dr. Sun had also found some of the technology Frieza had used to be of interest. All he had to go on was the basic function though; he knew it measured ki. He didn't have anything to work with because Trunks had destroyed all of Frieza's toys. The machine measured ki much better than the scouter did, and it was calibrated to handle extreme levels. That was good, since Cell's ki and that of Goku's repeatedly tested its limits.

When Gohan began to fight Cell in SSJ2 mode Aspa could feel a sense of pride. Cell was going to be killed by a Saiyan. It was like proving that Frieza couldn't get the job done. Then Cell exploded and came back better than ever. He and Gohan locked themselves in a Kamehameha battle to decide the fate of the world. Gohan won…Aspa lost.

Only a few moments had passed since Gohan's beam overtook that of Cell's. Dr. Sun was in his laboratory, which was downstairs in the building. Aspa was watching the battle on the first floor. That was when she felt the rumble. She didn't pay it any attention; she had ignored the others. Why should this one bother her? Aspa went about her business, which was bringing little b-chan down stairs for her father to have some time with her. No sooner had she closed the basement door, though, did a massive beam of energy rip through and tear the top of the building off from the lower portion.

Dr. Sun had to claw and scrap and push his way through hundreds of pieces of rock until he was finally able to get to the surface. It was there that he found his wife. She had been in the path of the blast, and even her Saiyan healing factor couldn't save her. Sun wanted to help her, but he didn't want to move her. Aspa's entire backside had been burned badly. She might have received nerve damage, broken bones, etc. Dr. Sun was running out of ideas, so he turned to what he knew; science.

It took hours to complete. Sun worked around the clock literally; he was awake for 26 hours total. He wouldn't allow himself to get tired. Finally his work was done, and his wife was saved…at a price. He had been able to use his technical expertise to save her life, but she was now dependent on it to live. Dr. Sun had fused her life functions into his master computer, hoping its constant influx of power would keep her alive and it did.

****

End Flashback

"And that is the story." Aspa sighed yet again. "Dr. Sun is who you now know as Dr. Boo. He became obsessed with killing Son Gohan because of what he did. I couldn't possibly blame the boy. If my death would result in the saving of the universe then I would do it again. Yoshu couldn't understand that. Now I don't know what his motives are. He might not be sane anymore. He isn't doing this for me now."

"You are right, Aspa. He isn't." Rae held her hands together in a cup shape and closed her eyes. "But I understand now what you have gone through. If he wasn't so hell bent on revenge then I might have been able to try to heal you sooner."

"Yes. You might have, but it might be too late."

"I can try anyhow. There is nothing to lose, right?" A slight smirk curled up along Aspa's face. "Okay then. Relax, but not too much. I'm going to try to stabilize your wound. If I can do that your Saiyan healing genes should be able to take it from there."

"Rae?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you, for all you are doing." 

"You're welcome, Aspa."

**********

"Now who is the first one to die?" Buu mocked all of the Z fighters. They had all rushed him, but gotten nowhere. He beckoned them to come, to try any type of offense. He knew Krillan wanted to get the body of 17 to safety until the Android awoke. He could feel Vegeta wanting to ring his neck. Goku… just wanted him gone. It was satisfying to Buu that they all wanted to do things to him, unspeakable things, but none could really follow through.

"Goku," The Saiyan only glanced once. It was Chima talking to him telepathically. He gave a quick tilt of the head to show that he was listening. "My fusion power is about to wear off. Buu probably doesn't know that. You and Vegeta attack Buu, and I'll use my speed to get 17 out of harms way. Krillan can watch over him and I'll come back to help in my split form."

"No," he said back to her, "Don't come back. Leave this one to Vegeta and me. We can handle him. After you are done with 17 go try to revive Trunks… and Hunter. They had a tiring battle and they might not have enough energy left to protect themselves." Chima winked his way to finish.

"Are you ready Vegeta?" asked Goku, smiling at his Saiyan friend.

"I'm always ready." They reinitiated their attack on Boo, taking him into the sky. Chima found her opening and summoned all of her power to propel herself forward. She picked up 17 without stopping and pulled a U-turn.

"Krillan! Let's go!" Krillan didn't have to be told twice. He turned on his own jets and followed her, trying his best to keep up but not doing a very good job. When they had put some distance between them Chima stopped, and Krillan nearly ran her down.

"Oops! Sorry."

"Krillan. Take 17 to Karin's and get a bag of senzu."

"What?! What about you? Where are you going?" Chima dumped 17 in Krillan's arms and blasted off again, not explaining to him why she was leaving. "Gee, I never get any answers." Krillan looked at 17 and smiled. "I wouldn't be able to look at myself in the morning if I let my love's brother die. I'm glad we got you out of there." He flew off to Karin's to collect the senzu.

Chima had to take the long route around the Vegeta/Goku/Buu battle. She didn't want Buu to get suspicious about her intentions. Even thought it took longer to reach the site of the Trunks/Hunter fight than she would have liked, it was not much of a difference. Her speed was top notch. Chima diffused as she reached the location, as if just on cue. Bulma and ChiChi gave each other a thumbs up sign. Bulma went over to her son. ChiChi cautiously approached Hunter. He might have been hurt, but he was still capable of immense power. Bulma was still five yards away when Trunks began to dig himself out of his rock covers. ChiChi didn't have to worry about Hunter; not only was he doing the same, but he also had help from another source.

"B-chan?" She didn't answer ChiChi. She simply kept tossing rocks and debris, trying to free Hunter.

_No one should have their life striped away from them like you did, Hunter. No one._ Finally she was able to unearth his entire body. It didn't look good. He was cut and scraped in every possible place. His clothes showed each and every scar, as they were shredded everywhere. He could barely open his eyes.

"Hunter?" There was no response besides him sitting up, and that was to get himself out of his makeshift grave. With a degree of difficulty he put his weight on one knee, then one foot, and finally was standing up again. He didn't look like himself, though. He was breathing heavy, and allowing his right arm to hang to conserve energy. That would have bothered him had Trunks not looked the same way. The demi-Saiyan was in just as bad shape as his opponent. He also could barely stand, but that didn't stop him. He stood up as well, and they once again locked gazes.

"Hunter! You ready to give up?!" Bulma's jaw dropped to the floor. Surely her son was kidding. If Hunter attacked then there was no way that he was going to be able to defend. She stepped in front of him and wouldn't let him pass.

"Not until you are dead!" Hunter slid his foot forward, not having it in him to lift it up to take a real step just yet. B-chan was just as shocked as Bulma. Almost dead and still wanting to fight. What was with him? Was Dr. Boo's influence that strong?

"I won't let you go, Hunter. I won't let you live your life as his pawn!" B-chan stepped right into Hunter's way, placing a look of disbelief on his face. She would dare keep him from this fight?

"You can't stop me…" He pushed by her, not violently, but as an unstoppable force that wouldn't be held back. Trunks had the same idea in his mind. He was a little gentler, but he let his mother know that he wasn't going to stop until it was done. He slithered forward, stalking his wounded prey, telling himself it would all be over soon one way or another.

"It's over, Hunter…you lose." Trunks formed a ball of ki in his hand and threw it, but Hunter jumped over it. Trunks had to dive out of the way to dodge the kick that Hunter aimed at his head. Upon landing Hunter had to recharge his tank. The simple jump had taken a lot out of him. Trunks capitalized and rushed him, rearing his arm back for a 'mega' punch.

"Damn!"

"Take this!" Trunks laid into Hunter's face with the haymaker and knocked him for a loop. Hunter landed on his back, but flipped over to his stomach. Still he was only on the floor for a second. He got right back to his feet, ready to fight.

"It's my turn!" Hunter tried a haymaker of his own, but it missed. Trunks hit him with an elbow to the back of the head, and then one to the chin. His kick was caught, and Hunter used the leg to twist him around. One 180-degree turn later Trunks took a punch to the back. Trying to turn around to face his attacker Trunks took a jaw-rocking kick to the mouth. He landed on this back, and Hunter landed on all fours. That was all the three on lookers could take. While Hunter and Trunks still refused to stay down they basically tackled them to the floor. Had they been at full power then they could have broken free, but they were far from that so they could do nothing but struggle. Finally they gave up from exhaustion and powered down to their normal power levels.

"Put an end to this, Hunter," said b-chan. "Why do you let Dr. Boo control you like this?"

"Who said anything about Dr. Boo? I haven't listened to a thing he wanted me to do since he left me for dead." That was a revelation. B-chan figured that Hunter was following the plans of the Doctor. Maybe she had him figured wrong.

"Then why do you still want to kill Trunks?"

"BECAUSE, SHERLOCK, HE NEARLY KILLED ME!"

SLAP!

A red mark appeared on Hunter's face where his cheek had met b-chan's hand. No one who had saw it could fathom that she would actually do it. Bulma and ChiChi were speechless. Trunks was stunned. Hunter was completely baffled. B-chan stared at him long and hard. The first thing to go through Hunter's mind was to retaliate. It didn't matter that she was a woman. He never had those kinds of moral problems. But then he decided to let it slide, more so because he was too tired and needed to regain lost energy. He would finish his battle with Trunks soon enough.

"That's enough sitting around, you two!" yelled Bulma, "But we have to get out of here before Buu finds a way past Vegeta and Goku. They are over there taking a beating for you right now?"

"I don't need anyone to help me," hissed Hunter as he stood up. "I can take care of myself."

"Oh stop acting macho!" yelled b-chan. Again everyone was stunned.

"There is not time to argue about it, Hunter. If you want to fight Trunks again then you had better come with us."

"…"

"Hunter, we're on your side right now," said b-chan. He looked at her, not knowing what to make of her. She was being genuine, and at that point he didn't have the strength to fight the ice cream man, let alone Buu. He conceded and draped his arm over her, letting b-chan hold up the bulk of his weight. She felt it hit her like a brick. It wasn't that he was heavy, but more so that he had basically put the task of moving him on her. He was that exhausted. More important was that he trusted her enough to do so. Both ChiChi and Bulma, draping one arm over each of them helped Trunks up.

"What does Buu want with us?" asked Trunks.

"He's going to try to absorb you. That's why we have to get you and Hunter out of here. If he does there might not be any chance to beat him." B-chan lifted into the air with her new load. "I think we should go now, but where are we headed?" Bulma thought long and hard, but couldn't come up with an answer.

'Let's just get as far away from here as possible. B-chan, we are going to have to run. We can't run the risk of being detected by flying." B-chan knew that in the back of her head, but she had wanted to get Hunter out of there so badly that she had let it slip. She touched down quickly and started sprinting away from everyone. ChiChi and Bulma took extra time to get their timing down seeing as how they were both carrying Trunks, but they soon were sprinting after her.

**********

Goten arrived with Dr. Boo and Devil back at the sight of the lab. There was a small amount of smoke coming forth from deep within. That was from the newly destroyed Aspa computer. Upon arrival Goten started getting a bad feeling about the whole situation. He was going to have to be careful about what he let the Doctor do. A scientist like that was sure to have a few tricks up his sleeves.

"Just exactly how are you going to release Videl? Tell me now, Boo!" Goten watched Dr. Boo roll his eyes.

"You idiot. Do you really think that with her by my side you can force me to release her? There is no Rae to help you. She is still with my wife. My darling little Android B has fallen for my trap and gone out to help my one working creation. She won't let him die. That will at the very least give him the chance to kill Trunks."

"Damn you, Boo!"

"I don't think so, boy. You are about to learn a lesson that you should remember if you make it out of here alive; Never trust the bad guys." He snapped his fingers. "Devil, occupy him. If the need arises- rip his head off."

"Yes, sir. Sorry, Goten. Doctor's orders. I'm going to have to give you your medicine." Devil attacked with a rapid-fire assault. Goten could barely keep ahead of all of them. He skipped around, jumping and ducking, spinning and twirling to get away from her. He dived behind the remains of the super computer. It took the blasts and shielded him. Quickly he powered up to Super Saiyan mode and devised a plan.

"I've got to get Boo and stop him. If I have him I can stop Videl from attacking." Goten rushed from around the pile of metal and plastic. No sooner had he done that then Devil tackled him into the wall, nearly pushing his entire body in. Goten pushed her away and hopped over her second attempt. Videl burrowed into the wall and Goten snagged the Doctor at another one of the computers in the lab.

"Unhand me!"

"Let Videl go and I let you go!"

"Devil! Kill him!" She sprung from the wall and was about to attack when Goten moved Dr. Boo between them. Needless to say she stopped.

"Care to try again, Dr. Boo?" Boo replied with a low growl. Things were getting out of hand…or were they.

"Simple minded Goten. I thought you would have learned by now that I am prepared for anything."

"Trying to scare me, Boo? It won't work. If I you try anything I'll break your neck." He tightened his grip to show he meant business.

"I don't make idle threats, Son Goten. I mean what I say. For instance, did you forget that I have your brother? As a matter of fact he's right behind you right now." Son Goten wasn't going to fall for the oldest trick in the book. Only an idiot would fall for it.

"You really expect me to give Videl an opening like that, Boo?" Boo said nothing. All he did was to duck down as far as possible when Gohan whacked his brother over the back of the head, collapsing him to the floor. Goten grabbed his head and crawled forward, trying to get away from whatever hit him until he could manage the pain.

"You should have listened, Goten. I gave you fair warning. Gohan and Devil are mine now. I will use them to defeat not only Buu and his brother, but your father and Vegeta. I will finally have my revenge for my loss. In the mean time you can stay there until your headache allows you to leave. There is nothing that you can do now. You can't attack Videl because your conscience won't let you. You can't attack Gohan because you don't stand a chance against him. You can't attack me because you wouldn't get within three feet before they both tore you apart. Game over, Son Goten. I win." Videl picked Dr. Boo up and flew out of an opening skylight. Goten caught onto his brother's left foot before he made it. Goten could hardly lift his head, but the matter was too important to let pass.

"Gohan…don't let him control you…" When he peered into his brother's face Goten thought that for just a split second he had seen his real brother peek through just before he took a boot to the face and passed out.

**********

"Gallic Gun Fire!" Vegeta's beam ripped through the air. Buu blocked it and held it at bay with his arms. From the side Goku dove in, hoping to get a shot in since he was preoccupied, but Buu zanzokened away at the very last moment and Goku took the full force of the Gallic Gun. Vegeta pulled away from the attack and was belted with an upward swinging axe handle punch from Buu.

"I will have the Buu-droid, and I'll take the Saiyan as a bonus."

"YOU WILL NOT TAKE MY SON!" Vegeta fired his Gallic Gun yet again. This time the blast was double strong, and Buu couldn't stop the forward momentum of it. He, and it, crashed into the ground at blinding speed. Only a few moments later, however, he rebounded and fought his way back up through the stream of energy to lay a hard right to Vegeta's face. Goku bounced in and kicked him in the back. Buu felt it, but worked with the pain and lunged backward. He hit Goku with a headbutt and then tossed him into the now charging Vegeta. The Saiyans recovered easily, but Buu had already taken off.

"Damn it! He's going to get to Trunks and Hunter!" Goku flared up his ki and blasted off, using every ounce of speed he had. Vegeta was close behind. They both ran right into a hard, unmovable wall.

"Now don't tell me that everyone has forgotten about me." The tall, imposing form of Boo loomed over them.

"…Kisima…" Both Goku and Vegeta began cursing their luck. Buu had been strong, but it was painfully apparent who was the stronger of the two.

"Don't get too scared, Goku. You'll need your energy. You might want to conserve your power as well."

"I don't need to listen to you! Get out of my way! Your brother is going to wish he had never been born!" Vegeta tried to speed past Boo, but it was impossible. He attempted it multiple times with multiple failures. The last time Boo put a death grip on Vegeta's neck.

"You won't have any time to deal with him while I am here. It is time to fight Saiyans. I don't want to waste my time and your energy on the meaningless two on one you are thinking about fighting. Don't fool yourselves into thinking that you can win. I want to fight the fusion."

"…"

"Your silence tells me I am understood." Boo let Vegeta go and the Saiyan backed off slightly, rubbing his neck down.

"I don't jump through hoops for the likes of you, Boo," he said. Even outmatched his usual confidence boiled to the top. "I will fight you as is and I will defeat you." Goku grabbed his arm before Vegeta had the chance to plan his first attack.

"Vegeta…" There was a long silence between the two. It was as if they were talking telepathically. It was not that as much as it was an understanding between two warriors. Vegeta had becoming more willing to be a team player as time went on. He was still very much a lone warrior, but he could be counted on to be part of the team now. This was one of those times he was being asked, and without a word he agreed.

"You've just made a huge mistake, Boo." Vegeta floated to the ground and moved himself into position.

"Vegeta, you talk too much. Just remember that it will be my hand that kills you."

"No. It will be my hand that kills you…" Goku was now in position. They gave each other a nod and started the fusion dance. It was done perfectly.

"Fusion…HA!"

"This is it…while my brother worries about taking the Buu-droid back into himself I get to have my revenge. It will indeed be glorious. After our battle is done and he is lying on the floor and dying I will fulfill my dream and his death will mark the beginning of my reign of power."

"I wouldn't count on that." Boo couldn't hide the joy from his face. Standing before him now was Gogeta, the fusion of Goku and Vegeta. It was the one that had, with the help of everyone else, sealed him back in the Dead Zone. Now they could no longer do that. He could create his own Dead Zone portals at will, thanks to Garlic Jr. Now they would have to kill him, but it wasn't likely to happen. He was going to kill the fusion first.

"Gogeta…we meet again. Now I can tell you what I've wanted to for all these years…"

"That you need a makeover?"

"Always the confident one. You won't be so confident when your face is mutilated."

"That won't happen while you are as weak as you are."

"You think I'm weak, do you? You can't begin to understand what energy I've absorbed in preparation for this battle. You don't know what I've achieved just so that when we fought your body would become a stain on my boot."

"And you," started Gogeta, "Don't understand that I know exactly who you've absorbed. You've taken Garlic Jr., Frieza, and Cell into your body. Problem is that you still can't touch my power. Face it, Boo. You are still second rate." Gogeta was calm as ever, which was beginning to frighten Boo. Perhaps he had overestimated his own power. Gogeta was extremely powerful. There was no question. Boo had immense power himself, but who had more? One thing was for certain; Boo wasn't going to let Gogeta make him look stupid.

"Your scare tactics won't work!" He rose his arm until his palm was pointing flat at Gogeta. "You are still going to die!"

"As you wish." In a flash Boo's head was falling to the ground and Gogeta was above the headless body finishing the decapitating swipe with this left hand. The body, headless and all, turned around and used the Big Bang attack. A single hand from Gogeta blocked it. He then promptly melted the body away with a single blast.

"You Bastard! You can't possibly be doing this!"

"Stop whining. It is far from over. You have yet another obstacle holding you back, and I want to beat you at full power." Confusion was the emotion Buu showed next. He couldn't understand what the hell Gogeta was up to, but he could feel the roles switching.

"What the hell are you talking about, fusion?"

"You might think that you have more control over your body than your brother, but I can sense that your excess power is being blocked by all of those you have absorbed. Let them go, and you will be able to reach it. You have something deep inside of yourself that you haven't let go of yet. When you do your potential will be reached." Boo gritted his teeth. Letting go of Cell, Frieza, and Garlic Jr. meant losing a lot of valuable knowledge. Gogeta, as much as he hated to admit it, was right. He was fooling himself into believing that he could have their knowledge and beat Gogeta with less power. He would have to absorb many more like them to do that. His best chance was to let them all go.

"You make an interesting point, fusion. I will let them go." Just like that Boo spit out three pink spheres. They dropped to the ground and seconds later grew to full size. In them were the three villains that were imprisoned inside of Boo. Gogeta's eye twitched when he saw Frieza. The part of him that was Goku still couldn't understand all the madness and murder that he caused. The part of him that was Vegeta could never forgive him for ending the empire that was the Saiyan race. After getting over seeing Frieza again (halo and all) Gogeta noticed that Boo's power had gone down.

"You are still holding back…you've got someone else in you, don't you?"

"No…" Even Boo knew that wasn't the least bit convincing.

"Who is it?"

"You wouldn't know, and by the time I'm through with you it won't matter." Boo worked up what looked to be courage and inhaled deeply. Then he exhaled and spit; launching another one of the pink spheres almost a mile away. Gogeta felt the power difference right away.

"Now that you are gaining your power back I want you to understand. I have no intentions on imprisoning you anywhere this time. I plan on killing you and then Emma can decide what to do with you. Both you and your brother will find yourselves in new bodies, hopefully good this time."

"No fusion. It doesn't go that way. Now that I've rid myself of the child I will rid myself of you. I will follow you to Heaven and kill you again so that I never have to see your face ever again."

"If you think you can…" Gogeta motioned for Boo to bring it. "Then try it. If you can't, say goodbye."

**********

"You won't get Trunks!" Bulma screamed at the top of her lungs. The sheer determination on her face was awe-inspiring. She even managed to give Buu a good ki blast to the chest, knocking him off balance. It didn't last long and Buu retaliated by whipping out his forelock and grabbing Bulma by the foot. He took her off her feet and swung her at ChiChi, who blasted off with Trunks in the direction of b-chan and Hunter. She couldn't outrun it, so Bulma collided with her and ChiChi dropped Trunks. He landed about six feet from b-chan.

"You two go boom!" Buu used the momentum he had built with Bulma to keep ChiChi in front and he slammed the both of them into the ground. "You shouldn't have gotten in my way." Buu picked Bulma up from the pit and then slammed her down again, right into ChiChi's back. B-chan started to rush in to help, but then she thought of a better idea. She ran over to Trunks and picked him up.

"Trunks, can you walk?"

"Yeah…I can walk." B-chan let him go slowly and he was able to transfer his weight to his own feet. Hunter was standing as well, barely, but he was up and about.

"That's good. Think you can move around, Hunter?"

"…What are you getting at?" b-chan smiled devilishly. Both Hunter and Trunks knew they weren't going to like what they were about to hear.

"Trunks! B-chan!" All three of them watched as Krillan ran up to them with a bag in his hand.

"Krillan (cough), what are you doing here?" Krillan smiled at Trunks and opened the bag. He took out a small bean.

"I'm the delivery man, Trunks. Here ya go!" He flipped it into the air and Trunks caught it in his mouth. He munched it around for a while and swallowed. Instantly his strength was returned and his wounds were healed. He felt about twenty times better than he had a couple of seconds ago.

"Thanks, Krillan. You're a lifesaver." Krillan nodded. B-chan cleared her throat to get a bit of attention, which she received.

"Can I have one of those?" Krillan handed her a senzu bean. She took it, walked over to Hunter, and placed it in his hand. "Eat it."

"What?!" Trunks and Krillan gasped at the same time.

"I have a plan, you two, and he is part of it." Hunter ate the senzu and his power sparked anew. He tested his arm out and found no pain. He took a deep breath and then stared at b-chan. She seemed to be helping him a lot. What reason had he given her to trust him?

"Okay. We are all revived, b-chan," said Trunks. "What is the plan?"

"It's simple. It's obvious that no one here has the power to fight Buu individually. A team up attack would be ineffective as well. What we need is to have ChiChi and Bulma fuse again, but they can't." The empty look on Trunks' face showed he didn't follow. Hunter was trying to understand, but he didn't know what she was getting at either. Krillan was the third clueless wonder.

"Uh…b-chan…" Krillan scratched his head. "I don't think anyone knows what you are trying to say?"

"That's because none of the three of you would have ever thought to do it. Trunks, Hunter; if you really want a chance to beat Buu, you are going to have to fuse." At first there was nothing. Not a word or a peep from anyone. B-chan studied each of them. They hadn't moved a muscle. Time was running out. ChiChi and Bulma had gotten out of the hole, but they were getting mauled. B-chan knew the silence was only from shock. The real reaction was coming soon.

It came.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOU MIND!" That was Hunter's reaction. Trunks did nothing but stare at his rival. The thought of doing the fusion dance with him sickened him. Hunter was too evil. The fusion might be out of control. There were a thousand reasons that he could think of not to go through with it…and then again he couldn't come up with a better plan.

"B-chan," Krillan started again. "I think you've lost your mind."

"No. I know that as a fusion they stand a better chance. Their power is past that of ChiChi and Bulma's. They would be able to hand Buu his head on a silver platter. Hunter and Trunks glanced at each other and the queasy feelings started to erupt.

"I can't fuse with him." Trunks could see his protest was falling on deaf ears, but he kept it up in hopes that something would happen. "He's a murderer. He wants me dead. How can I in good-"

"Get down!" Hunter tackled b-chan and Trunks pulled Krillan down. They had narrowly avoided the foot of Majin Buu, which was about fifteen feet long at that time. Hunter growled; the damn demon had tried to take his head off.

"See? You aren't all bad, Hunter." He peeked down and for the first time realized that he had protected b-chan. Whether she needed it or not wasn't what bothered him, it was the fact that he had done it at all. Wasn't she getting on his bad side?

"Don't start with me." Hunter stood up. Trunks was next to him. B-chan ran around them.

"Either fuse or I'll have to fight him."

"No, b-chan!" Krillan dived for her arm, but just missed it. She was off, already up to her max Super Saiyan power. Krillan pounded the ground. He couldn't do a thing to save her…but Trunks and Hunter could. He stormed over to them. He didn't bother with Trunks. In times of need Trunks would put his feelings aside and do what was best for the team. Krillan didn't need to convince him anymore. Instead he did one of the bravest things he had ever done; Krillan grabbed Hunter by the collar and without a word rammed him into a nearby mountain.

"Let go of me, monk, and I'll spare-"

"Can it!" Hunter was shocked by the sudden attitude change in Krillan. It demanded to be listened to. "I've had enough of your wise cracks! That girl is out there fighting just to get you two to fuse together to get rid of this monster! She knows that you and Trunks are the only ones who can pull this off. She is putting her life on the line for you. What the hell are you going to do! Let her die because of your ego?!" Krillan breathed heavily through his nose. "Forget yourself for once and think of the one person who has shown she cares!

"…I…"

"Don't say it- do it!" He let Hunter go and turned his back to him. Hunter stayed put for a moment. Trunks couldn't believe what he had just seen.

_I don't think I've ever seen Krillan act like that before. He must have really been worked up._

Hunter fixed his gi and stared at the ground.

_That monk has some nerve. He thinks he can tell me what to do, but I'm stronger than he is… so why didn't I just push him away? I could have done that easily, but I didn't. I didn't stop listening to that girl either. Why?_ Hunter was at war with himself. He didn't want act like a sissy, but at the same time he was tired of fooling himself._ I didn't push him away because he told me exactly what I needed to hear. I owe the girl big. If she hadn't given me that senzu Buu might have killed me, or at least stopped me long enough to absorb me. Now I was going to let her fight by herself just because of my ego._ Anger was registering on Hunter's face. For the first time ever he was beginning to care about someone other than himself. Someone who had made a selfless sacrifice for him without even wanting a thank you. That person was now fighting a losing a battle against the enemy. Hunter watched in horror as she was slammed into the ground in the same fashion as ChiChi and Bulma. Over and over she was introduced to the floor. Each time she yelled and each time his anger rose. Finally it overcame him in the form of ki.

"You think that you can take my b-chan away from me, you demon?" He clenched his fist and the anger soared higher. He walked over to Trunks' side. Trunks was ready. "I don't think so." Once again the two locked eyes, letting each other know that it was a one-time deal. Behind them Krillan was sweating bullets. He couldn't believe he had just done what he did to Hunter, but it had worked. In the distance Buu slammed b-chan one more time.

"You go boom!"

"Hey! Majin Buu!" he yelled. "Don't you touch her! I'll make you pay for all you've put her through!" Trunks and Hunter nodded at each other and started the dance.

"FUSION…"

**********


	10. His Name Is...

Fusion…HA! 2- The Dead Zone

Part 10- His Name Is…

Boo never really wanted much in life. He liked to keep things simple. A little mass destruction here, a little genocide there and he was complacent. Everything was good then. When the Dead Zone opened for the first time he couldn't have been more elated. He had finally had a chance to do some of his favorite hobbies. He had a few things on his list. Boo was getting ready to get attempt an escape on his own. He was going to try exploding, hoping the release of power would help him open a crack…it turned out that it wasn't necessary. The Dead Zone opened and he was free. That was the first time he met Gogeta.

The fusion was already formed by the time Boo met them. He knew very little about fusions, although he had seen some in the past. They were laughable at best. In regards to power increase it was a great difference, but since the people he had been faced with were weak to begin with they didn't stand a chance. This one was different.

Gogeta was the epitome of power, not including Boo. He was strong beyond anyone's wildest imaginations. While the drawback of cockiness in most of the others had made for a good comedy show, this fusion could back up his words. Boo had to fight him with all he had before he was able to raise his power to the level that would allow him to really fight him. That was why it took them all so long reseal him back in the Dead Zone. Now Boo was stronger, and he was about to find out just how much the fusion had improved. His brother was off fighting his own battles. He would become part of the solution soon enough. Right now he was going to get the battle he wanted and enjoy it as long as he could. His plan, ending in the death of the fusion, was evolving nicely…except for the thunderous foot he just took against the chin.

"Oof!" Boo spun around uncontrollably. "I have to remember to stay focused," he whispered. "I can't be beaten until I finish my plan." Boo diverted the next kick with his arm, aiming it upward. Gogeta was watching the whole time as Boo shot forward and snapped a kick right under the chin, returning the favor. Gogeta did a complete flip to recover.

"You've improved."

"You haven't." Gogeta took a shot to his right shoulder from the front. Boo went too fast to see exactly how. Another came from the back, and this one hit the left shoulder. Afterward Gogeta had to hold it. It was stinging with pain, a kind he hadn't felt before.

"Time to play hard." Gogeta skipped all levels and went right to Super Saiyan 3. It had become increasingly easy to do so as he trained as Goku and Vegeta. Since both could reach the level and had trained at it for so long he could bypass the two weaker levels. Faced with the form that had defeated him the first time Boo felt a bit of anticipation.

"I was wondering when you would do that. I can't possibly fight you at full power unless you did that."

"Believe me, I won't disappoint." Gogeta was now behind Boo, just like that. He smacked him away, tearing up the ground around him with the simple maneuver. Boo used his power to stop himself mid-flight. Gogeta couldn't see him doing so, but he did hear him laughing. While he was Gogeta was pounded from behind. It was a hard hit, and it forced him to the ground.

"What!?" Gogeta scanned the area with a quick roll of the eyes and found two things wrong. The first was that there was no one else around. It was just him and Boo. The second, which was even more disturbing, was that Boo hadn't moved a muscle. Something had hit him. He didn't imagine that and as weird as it sounded it wasn't Boo…or at least it wasn't that Boo. Was it possible-

"Ha, ha!" Gogeta' face was rammed into the floor by the laughing assailant who seemed to hide himself in thin air again. During the quick attack Gogeta monitored Boo's movement. Once again there was none. He wasn't doing it. The most logical thing that the fusion could come up with was that Boo had done some sort of split form attack when he didn't notice and the other form was moving around too quickly for him to detect.

"What's the matter, fusion?"

"I'm sick of you calling me that, that's what. Listen. I'll spell it out for you. My name is-" Gogeta sidestepped and did a 180 degree turn with his fist homing on a shape he detected approaching. He hit money when he crushed what turned out to be a clone of Boo. It melted around his arm and coiled around his neck. It hardened that way, leaving little room for sight or breath. Gogeta clasped his hands around it and tried to pull it off, but it wasn't budging in the least. Boo descended to the ground and stood back to back with his foe, who was now trying desperately to get the constricting force off of his windpipe.

"I know exactly what your name is. It doesn't mean it will matter when you are dead. I don't think you can get that off before you run out of oxygen. It's too bad. I was going to do so much more."

"You're…wrong…Boo."

"Oh? About what?" The look on Gogeta's face changed from one of fear to one of confidence, bordering on cockiness.

"I am not going to die that easy. Your pathetic attack was pointless. You might want to consider trying something more drastic, like blowing yourself up." With one swipe the part of Boo that was supposedly strangling him was in his left hand. He tossed it back at Boo. "Take your slime."

"…"

"And don't give me that look. When you started this battle you knew two things. One was this battle was going to be the hardest in your life." Boo reabsorbed the loose limb back into himself.

"I suppose you are going to tell me what the other is."

"No. You'll have to beat that out of me." Boo took a single step when Gogeta held out a hand in a "stop" fashion. "I wouldn't go any farther than that if I were you."

"To hell with you and your warnings, fusion! You and I both know that you can't beat me!" Boo bounded into the air. Gogeta followed him with his hand, gathering all the ki that he needed for the next attack.

"Bicubang Attack!" Boo smiled and shifted his weight to the side as he started diving downward. He was ready for the attack, forcing Gogeta to fire it so soon that he could easily avoid it. The beam zoomed by him and left his target wide open. All he hit was air, but the air he hit was still occupied by Gogeta. He knew what was going on. It was the fusion using his own strategy against him. Then the still man began to fade.

_He isn't using my attack. He moved! Where did he go?_ Boo rose into the air, becoming more upset with every passing second.

"If you don't show yourself then I will destroy this planet!" He meant business on that one. He raised a clawed hand into the air as if he were trying to get a hold of something. It filled with red light and became larger and larger. Still there was no sign of Gogeta.

"You drop that and you'll be sorry." The voice sounded like it came from nowhere in particular and everyone all at once.

"That remains to be seen!" Boo allowed his arm to fall, trying to make it look as if he had lost his grip on the energy. It started its downward spiral to the ground. Boo stared at it as it did. Just as it cleared his body and allowed him view of the horizon his attention was caught by something else. It was Gogeta, but at this time he looked more like a golden missile.

"Arrrrrgghhhhh!" Like a blade through tissue Gogeta separated the top and lower halves of Boo. He broke out of his charge right behind him, appearing right next to the top half. "I told you that you would be sorry." As Boo made all sorts of grunts and curse Gogeta was now in pursuit of the death ball about to collide with earth.

"Damn fusion!" Boo pulled himself together and healed the wound. He was now back as a whole. He turned around and his voice became stuck in his throat. Not only had his death ball been stopped from hitting the earth been bad enough, but also to add insult to injury (and possibly injury to injury) he was now it's target. Immediately he moved to the side, but Gogeta zanzoked right next to him and calmly pushed him back with an elbow to the side of his stomach. Boo tried dodging a different way but Gogeta met him there as well.

"You are just going to have to hold it back," said Gogeta as he materialized right next to Boo. Every cell in Boo's body told him to whack the fusion at that moment, but with the approaching ki ball he wouldn't have had a chance. Boo braced himself and took it head on, slowing it down at a reasonable pace.

"I made this, fusion. I can control it." As if to reply Gogeta flew in and rammed Boo into the death ball. Both were lodged inside now. Boo picked himself up, brimming with anger. Things weren't going all that well.

"You look upset about something."

"You can't beat me…you can't…" Boo clenched a fist close to his heart (or where it would be). "It's going to take a lot more than this to end me."

"I'm just getting warmed up." They circled around the new ring, now suspended in the air. There was hardly any room, and the fact that it was still in one piece was amazing, but that was the last thing on either of their minds. Boo launched his entire body at Gogeta, locking his arms around his opponent's waist. Boo picked him up and threw him against the other side of the sphere. Just as there was an impact on the bubble Boo created another when he performed a mule kick that caught Gogeta on the small of the back. Boo peeled him off of the wall and rammed his face into a knee. Gogeta spit up a little bit of blood.

"You don't want to see me motivated." Boo slammed his face into the sphere again. "When I really want something done I tend to do it with deadly efficiency."

"You are all talk." Gogeta smiled and gave Boo a shot to the gut before he could be introduced to the wall again. "It's all you do. I'm tired of fighting in this bubble. I think I'll pop it." Boo snatched him by the hand before he could think of a way how.

"Not until I'm finished coloring your face crimson red."

"You don't have a say in the matter. I'm sure Piccolo is going to do it soon."

"Piccolo?" Outside of the bubble on the ground was 18, a little more than dislike displayed on her face. She had been taken over by Boo, and it made her sick. He was going to pay. It didn't matter to him though. She was of little concern. The figure standing on air not to far above her was.

"Gogeta, let me have a shot at him. I can handle him" Gogeta nodded and used his ki to make the energy ball explode. Neither one of them was hurt, but they had a hell of a lot more room to maneuver now.

"Go ahead. He was boring me anyway." Boo stared long and hard at the fusion. All the time he had fantasized about killing him in horrible ways. All the years of frustration over not getting a second chance. Finally he was locked in battle with his rightful opponent and just like that another fighter steps in?

"We are not done yet, fusion!"

"I say you are." Piccolo floated forth. "I have a little score of my own to settle with you. It might be a fair fight this time. The last time we fought in the Dead Zone I thought that after you shed your stolen body that you would become far too strong for me to handle. I see that is not the case. I must have improved more than I thought."

"You still believe yourself to be more powerful?"

"I know myself to be more powerful, and I am not on a timer like Gogeta. I can pound you as long as I like." There was silence for almost two minutes. Piccolo was in no hurry. Boo couldn't escape. He was going to let him think it over for a while, realize the futility of his efforts before he was finished for good. It would be his turn for a change.

"If you think you can handle it, Namek, bring it on." 18 scowled at him, seeing her chance to get a shot at him slip away. Piccolo smiled, knowing how she felt and knowing what he was capable of doing to Boo. He faced his enemy and was locked in a gaze in which he very simply told Boo that he couldn't win.

"Gladly."

**********

The healing session was still going on. Rae found that she couldn't spread her regenerative powers over the wound like usual. Something was off. She quickly went off and found a doctor (who was more than happy to help if his life was spared). He examined the area on her back and suggested bringing Aspa to the emergency room. Rae agreed. They arrived inside with a plethora of green suited medics already inside. They started to operate on the area. Rae stood off to the side. She refused to leave the room as asked numerous times. If things were to get worse then she had to be nearby to keep Aspa from slipping away.

_There has to be something that is sapping her strength or blocking my power. Her Saiyan genes are fighting a losing battle right now, but she isn't dead. Something is wrong inside of her and that's what is keeping her from healing. What is it though?_

Rae kept tabs on what the doctors were doing, but so far they hadn't been able to find anything wrong besides the fact that she was dying. Most were surprised that she had survived as long as she had, but they didn't know that she was a Saiyan. Before long Rae was thinking about Dr. Sun's whole involvement.

_Aspa's death or recovery is a bigger deal than I thought before. She is the reason Sun uses for doing what he is doing. We might be able to end this entire thing with him if Aspa pulls through. I'm sure b-chan will also want to talk to her. As far as I know Aspa hasn't had much real contact with her daughter, at least not person to person._

"I think I've found something!" Rae jumped from the wall over to the sea of green.

"What is it?"

"It's a shard of glass. It's huge. It was sticking in her back the whole time." He pulled out the offending glass and placed it on a towel that a nurse was holding. She took it away and the doctor looked around to make sure that they weren't leaving any bits or pieces.

"Would that keep her from recovering?"

"The way it was in there it could be a possibility, but now that it's out she will be alright. It's going to take a long time for her wound to close up fully and-" That was all Rae needed to hear. The doctors had done their job. Now that Aspa was under normal conditions Rae could attempt to try to heal her again. It wasn't going to happen in the presence of all the doctors, but at least now there was some light ahead of the dark situation.

"Thank you, doctor. I can take it from here."

"We still have to close the wound before-" He stopped short of his sentence when he caught a peek at the look that was coming his way from the girl. It was a "Don't toy with me" kind that screamed to be obeyed. Everyone left the room after that, and Rae was alone with Aspa once again.

"Now I think I can finish the job and get you back on your feet." Rae placed her hands lightly on Aspa's back, causing a flinch. They glowed once again with their power of healing and began to work their magic. The change was almost immediate. The wound was closing. On the outside the charming Buu-droid was all business about finishing Aspa's back; inside she was smiling to herself.

_If that shard of glass had to be taken from her back for her to heal then her Saiyan genes might have been blocking my power. The wound wouldn't close until it was taken out. It's a good thing they found it or she might not make it. Saiyan's are so durable. I can't believe this was once a mortal wound._

By the time her thought was at its end the wound was closed. Unlike the medical method, which would have left a nasty scar on the back, Rae's method had completely gotten rid of any unsightly marks and made the process a success. Aspa was stirring on her bed already.

"Feeling better?" The Saiyan looked at her, beaming from ear to ear. With the energy of a 5-year-old she bounded off the bed and out the door, barreling through all the people that had collected there to try to listen to what was going on. In a few seconds she came back.

"I can walk around again. I'm feeling great. Thank you, Rae, for all that you have done for me. I can never repay you, but I can try to help. Yoshu has been getting out of control, and I will see to it that he stops."

"Do you think that you can stop him? Will he listen to you now?" Both were quiet for a minute. Rae could plainly see that Aspa wasn't sure.

"I can't promise that I can convince him to stop. He's gone and become much more violent and psychotic then when I first knew him. I don't know why. My plan is to find out though. He will talk to me. The question is only if he will listen to what I tell him." She grabbed Rae by the hand and pulled her out the door.

"Hey! Hold on!"

"No time to wait. I can get us there much faster with my speed. I actually feel stronger than before. I guess it's true about our ability to increase our strength after a near death experience. Since I was on that line for so long I guess that I'll probably have much more power when I tap into it all."

"I can't imagine how much you will have improved."

"We just might get the chance to find out. When I talk to the good Doctor he just might make me have to use it."

**********

Goten rubbed his face and cursed his stupidity. In all his haste to get Videl back he never really thought anything out. She was still under Dr. Boo's control and now Gohan was the same. This was rapidly becoming a very bad situation. Boo was going to use them against the others and he had allowed him simply to make Goten look like a fool. He jumped up off of the floor and started to leave when he thought about where he was.

"Hmmm…this is his laboratory. That I know for certain. Maybe I should do a bit of snooping around. Last time we did some searching in a building of his we found the control box to the Buuku being. Maybe I can strike gold this time. Better start now." Goten's demeanor was taking a change for the better. He wasn't as upset about himself as he had once been. If he found Gohan and Videl's controls he could possibly destroy them. That would make up for his earlier follies.

"I think it's time I took a grand tour of this place." Goten ran across the huge room and out the door. He continued to run down the hall, blasting door after door open. Most of the place was residential. It was also messy. Someone wasn't doing his or her job.

"I guess Aspa was the person who kept things clean. Dr. Boo probably doesn't know how to." He zigzagged in and out of rooms, demolishing anything that even resembled electronic equipment. He could afford to take no chances. His target could be disguised as a plant for all he knew, but Goten felt that it would probably be more apparent than that. After going through all the doors on that floor and finding nothing Goten headed down a staircase.

"The basement is also a good place to check. I'll just-" He paused and went silent. In the distance he heard a humming sound. The walls of the staircase were amplifying it well, but Goten couldn't pinpoint it just yet. He examined the area, but found no clues. Goten's Saiyan hearing zeroed in slowly, and he found himself staring at the uppermost door in the stairwell. It was about 10 stories up.

"So much for the basement idea. I guess it's time to do some damage." Raising his energy level he rose up to the top floor and set down in front of the unmark gray door. Tempted to knock on it, Goten instead knocked it down with a well-placed shoulder block. Inside there were wall-to-wall electronics beeping and toning away. It was a treasure trove of computers. It was hard to tell where one ended and the other began. The room itself was probably the size of the building. Goten walked in and started browsing; wondering which one might be the one he was looking for. One of the closer one's started flashing a message in red.

Warning! Intruder Detected! Launching security measures.

"Oh darn." A low, sarcastic look was on his face. "I set of the alarm. I feel like such an idiot." The computers blipped in bleeped rapidly.

Launching "Ninja" countermeasures! There was a whirling sound at the end of the room where a spot on the wall was opening up. Goten was already in his fighting position, crouched down deep in a 3-point-stance.

"I don't need anyone to tell me I'm not going to like this."

**********

b-chan was smiling… a lot. She took the last senzu, which returned her strength. Bulma and ChiChi were already recovered. They were simply spectators now. To make sure they didn't get in the way they had cleared out to a safer distance. It was hardly off the battlefield, but they were still very close. Once there Bulma stared at b-chan for almost an entire minute before saying a word.

"I only have one question."

"Yes?" b-chan replied.

"…How did you do it?" Bulma took her Saiyan guard off for a moment to power down. It was easier to hide her power that way. Slipping by unnoticed until she and ChiChi could fuse again would be a snap.

"You are talking about getting them to fuse. It wasn't my choice. All I did was tell them a few things and then they decided on their own." Neither ChiChi nor Bulma were really buying it. Trunks hated Hunter. Hunter hated Trunks. It was as if it were a law of life. Why would they fuse when they couldn't stand the sight of each other? Somehow b-chan had convinced the two to get it done.

"Well…okay…" There was no use trying to figure it out. Bulma was now watching the action again. It was still going to be a while before she and ChiChi would be part of it again. It was Buu against the new fusion now. Despite her best efforts Bulma's mind began to wonder again, pondering a very unusual question.

"What are you thinking about, Bulma?" asked ChiChi. She had seen the questioning look on her friend's face. "Something bothering you?"

"Nothing really important, but it's weird still. I was just wondering what this fusion would be called. It doesn't really sound right if you call him Hunks. Trunter doesn't exactly have a ring to it either. It's doesn't fit easily like Gogeta or Chima or Gotenks. What do you suppose the fusion will call itself?" ChiChi stared into space as she thought. It was a weird thing.

"…I don't know. I'm sure he'll tell us sometime."

"Don't worry," said b-chan, who was the only one with a clear head at the moment. "He'll have plenty of time to tell you after he gets done with Buu. He's going to be very strong, and I don't think that even Buu can handle him."

"You sound very sure of yourself, b-chan." Bulma walked over to her. "Do you know something that we don't?"

"I don't think so. I just know that these two are still reaching new levels of strength, and they did just before their own fight was over. Now they are revived and stronger than before. I think that they can beat Buu easy, but we'll just have to watch to find out. Look, there he is." Much like an introduction everyone's attention was on the lone figure opposite of Buu. The pink demon wasn't happy at the delay in his plan, but that was all. He wasn't impressed. Not by a fusion. The new fighter was dressed in Trunks' boots in a black/blue combination. His pants were black and baggy, with a thin blue strip running up the side and tucked neatly in his boots. Around his waste was a deep blue sash. He was shirtless, only wearing yet another blue accessory; a Capsule Corp. jacket. The original logo was replaced by kanji saying "Live Forever". The kanji also appeared on the back of the jacket, seemingly glowing with a brightness of it's own. The fusion's hair was a cross between the two it was composed of. It was much like Hunter's in that it was six large pieces that hung over the side of his head, three on each side. It was, however, purple like Trunks'. To top off the package Trunks' sword was strapped to his back. His newest enemy in front of him Buu rated what he saw.

"I give you a 0. You just don't, and won't, cut it."

"Oh," said the fusion, speaking his first words in his double voice. "I guess that means you give up. Too bad. I wanted to test my sword out on you a bit first before I did anything else." Buu wasn't bothered by the remark; it actually humored him.

"I'm sure. You expect me to get scared by your words, oh nameless one?"

"Oh I have a name. If you like I can carve it into your chest." The fusion reached back and came back with his sword in his hand. "I'll be gentle."

"You know that blade can't defeat me."

"I don't plan on killing you with it. I just want to make you look like a fool." That one hit home. Buu hadn't gotten angry until that remark.

"You have no idea what you are talking about." In typical Buu fashion he started what was going to be one of his planet killer death balls. It grew in size as his attitude changed back to its old cocky ways. "If you really want to impress me then block this, Frank!" It doubled it size. The fusion did nothing but start to power up himself. His ki started a whirlwind in his general area and blew his clothes around.

"Bring it on."

"Die bastard!" Buu went through the motions of throwing the energy ball, but it went nowhere. At the point of release he had stalled. The reason; the new fusion had powered up to SSJ 2, his hair radiating gold, and had now taken a hold of Buu's hand, not allowing it to move in any direction, let alone forward.

"My name, demon, is Nenks." Next thing Buu knew was he was face first on the ground, clutching his stomach. From their position on the outside of the battlefield Bulma and ChiChi were stunned. B-chan was completely amazed. No one had expected things to work out as well as they had. Nenks was unbelievably strong, and just might be able to take out Buu with no problems.

"Bulma!" yelled ChiChi, forgetting that Bulma was right next to her.

"I know, ChiChi. I know." She didn't get mad; all she could do was stare blankly. Was her son capable of power like this? It was unheard of. Nenks peered down at Buu, no expression on his face that would tell what he was thinking. Buu, however, had pain written all over his. That blow had hurt.

"Give up yet?" asked Nenks.

"HA!" Buu exploded off of the ground with an uppercut. Nenks didn't even dodge. Instead he grabbed the fist with his hand before it had a prayer to touch him and rammed it right into Buu's own face. It was so fast that Buu didn't know right away that he had been forced to hit himself. When he did he was pissed, but then he mouth was slammed shut when Nenks used the hand he was holding to direct Buu into a raging knee to the face. The indent left from it nearly cleared all the way through to the other side. Nenks let Buu go then and turned his back on him.

"You really look stupid. Hurry up." Mumbling under his breath, Buu healed his face wound and really began to growl. He was beyond anger. It was full-blown rage. This Nenks had decided to come in and push him around. This was going to slow down his revenge; his brother was probably already fighting the damn fusion. Buu didn't want to waste anymore time with the new one. There were bigger fish to fry.

"Okay. Time to fight." Buu attacked again, shooting punches left and right, up and down. Nenks never turned around. He instead dodged them by shifting his body slightly each time. Buu switched to his feet and Nenks did the same thing.

"Can't you go any faster than that?"

"SHUT UP!" Buu's ki signature flared when he went for his next kick, which was more powerful then the rest. Nenks spun around and blocked it with his arm. The defense left Buu speechless.

"What's the matter? Have you finally realized that you can't beat me? Understand, Buu. You won't win this battle. I know you are too stubborn to believe me. You'll understand when you are dead." Buu backed off, hands clawed in frustration.

"I'll show you!" A horrendously powerful blast came from his clawed hand. Nenks allowed it to approach him. When it came in range he whacked it away with a baseball bat-like swing with his arms. In the middle of the motion Buu took advantage and finally landed a hit in on Nenks. He cannonballed into the fusion's chest. Nenks staggered back. Having something that worked Buu tried it again, but this time Nenks slammed into him with a huge punch. Buu went flying into the stratosphere and had to flatten himself to slow down. He didn't return right away. He had to contemplate a very important question that had now been posed to him. How do you defeat an undefeatable foe?

**********

Piccolo took off into the air, dodging each of Boo's blasts with relative ease. They weren't very well placed; Boo must still be wondering about his battle with Gogeta. Piccolo curled his arm in and swung it behind himself.

"Dodge this, Boo!" Five small balls of ki came from his now extended hand. Boo smacked away the first one without a thought. The others couldn't touch him. He swept in and out, up and down. Piccolo put up a defense just as he was greeted by Boo's knee. It hit harder than he was ready for; Piccolo's arms dipped and left a bit of room under his chin open.

"Fore!" Boo used his upper body strength to swing his arms in a golf-like motion, ending with his balled hands being used as the club and Piccolo's vulnerable chin as the unlucky ball. The effects of the blow weren't severe, though, and the Namek was ready and waiting only moments after impact. Boo hadn't counted on the quick recovery; he was committed to another punching attack. Piccolo, with a flick of his wrist, moved Boo's hand out and away. Now the demon's face was completely open and begging to be hit. Piccolo obliged it and rammed the tip of his elbow into the exposed skin. It stopped Boo dead in his tracks. Piccolo flew back a little bit and then created a ball of ki. He pushed his arm forward in a motion that made it look like he was firing it. Boo saw the attack coming and easily dodged it.

"Makankosappo!" The signature bean streaked through the air quickly and found its target. Boo was able to get his hand in the way, but the corkscrew simply bore a hole through him. The blow hadn't done much to him, but while Boo was thinking about how much it would have hurt, Piccolo rushed him, carrying a large collection of ki in his hand.

"What the hell?!"

"Haaaaaaaaa!" The Namek was thrown away from his own move, the intense energy pushing all in the vicinity away. 18 and Gogeta waited on the ground. As much as Gogeta loved the fight, he couldn't see fighting someone beneath him like Boo. The demon had become stronger, but he hadn't changed much. Gogeta was still much stronger than he was.

"Is he dead?" 18 asked. She walked over to Gogeta, looking up at where Piccolo had attempted to turn Boo into confetti.

"I don't think so. Piccolo wasn't trying to kill him. It's amazing how strong he's gotten. I thought he was content with being at his own power level." Gogeta, who was also staring at the mushroom cloud that had enveloped the air, now turned to 18. She saw him staring and huffed.

"What?"

"Don't do it. He'll just make you look stupid." 18 was taken aback. Gogeta either was trying to read her mind, or he was just really good at guessing.

"You want me to just stay here after what he did to me? I should be up there, not Piccolo. What did he ever do to Piccolo?" 18 was brimming with anger and hatred for Boo, all of which he had earned in the last day. Dr. Gero didn't ever reach the plateau that Boo had, and the fact that the fusion was telling her there was nothing she could do about it was adding her anger.

"It doesn't matter. You can't even touch him. If you try he might kill you. What would that prove?"

"Damn it! You don't know anything!" The woman ran by Gogeta, roughly pushing him in any direction that wasn't in her way. She took off shortly thereafter, eyes telling a story of a mix of hopelessness and the need for revenge. She charged into the mushroom cloud with a purpose. Piccolo couldn't stop her before she entered either. She was there too quickly. Both Gogeta and Piccolo sat and waited, listening to the sounds of the smoke.

Oof!

Ack!

Crack!

Wham!

Next thing either the fusion or the Namek knew an unidentified object was "fired" from cloud. When it hit the ground it went through so fast that the hole was only as large as the flying disk that had crashed into it.

"18!" Piccolo descended to the ground next to the hole and gazed into it. He couldn't see a thing past the first couple of feet. There was no room for sunlight to get into it.

"Piccolo," said Gogeta. He pointed upward. Piccolo followed the finger's line to the person who was left into the air. It, not the one that had been violently introduced to the ground, was 18. The utter shock was unbelievable.

"I'm not done with him yet!" 18 now had an energy attack over her head that had the potential to destroy the planet. Gogeta and Piccolo both recognized her emotions being out of control. At this point in the battle she would use her attack without much thought. Being able to defeat Boo wouldn't help much if they were all dead. Piccolo was the one to react. As soon as he was in range he used a ki ball of his own to knock 18's away. He then moved in between her and the hole.

"Just what do you think you are doing?"

"Move out of my way, Piccolo. I'm going to finish this thing off." 18 flew by him, but he grabbed her wrist before she could get too far.

"You don't understand, do you? The only reason you were able to attack him and succeed was that I had just blasted him inside out. He couldn't fight back. If you try to fight him now he'll have recovered enough to make things worse for you. Get over this while you are still alive to be able to." 18 wrenched her hand away. As much as she wanted Boo to herself she knew that Piccolo wasn't just saying what he was. It was true. 18 was so desperate to get her hits in, though, that she didn't let the fact that Piccolo had just weakened him bother her when she whacked Boo around a bit.

"I think someone's ready to rejoin the party." Gogeta said as Boo's hand clamped on the side of the hole. He pulled himself up, little by little, and laid himself out when he was able to get the majority of his weight. He twitched almost every second; his body still scared from Piccolo and 18. Even his mouth was in pain, but his teeth fought through it as they were ground together.

_The Android now?! When will this end?! For years I was in the Dead Zone, increasing my power little by little. I should be a god to them now! Instead the Namek make me look like a pauper. Even the Android makes me look like a peasant! This can't be happening. I am the true greatest fighter! All of them should die by my feet! _Boo was now using all of his own will to put his feet under him and get a vertical base. Around him were now his three greatest rivals. He peered into the eyes of Android 18. She did the same right back, returning every bit of anger and hatred back his way. _Of all the people to allow myself to open to attack… I can't fathom how she could have been that quick, even in my weakened state._

"You seem quiet, Boo," said Piccolo. "You must be scared." Boo was now staring at Piccolo with that emotion mixed in again with the hatred and anger that he was feeling toward 18.

_The Namek… he has improved even more so then I could have ever dreamed. I had no idea that anyone could gain that much power. He was never even considered an obstacle before. Now he shows his true strength. It rivals my own… that is impossible! He's only a Namek!_

"Just give up," Gogeta stated quietly from his spot on the ground. "You've lost already." Boo, his attention on the fusion now, could hardly hold in his seething and absolute hatred for the fusion.

_And you… you, the one that started this whole thing. The fusion of my nightmares. I came back here so that I could defeat you, kill you slowly. It was to be my glorious plan. When you formed I knew that wasn't going to be easy. Your power… it was unheard of. How could you surpass me so much?! I can't stand the smug look on your face! You should fear me! Fusion, you will meet your end by my hands!_ Boo took in a deep breath. He needed it. It gave him a chance to collect his thoughts and formulate a plan. He was going to need one, a good one, to get himself out of the mess that he was in.

"Well, Piccolo, you've proven yourself strong, very strong. I'd have to say that you win the most improved award."

"I'm flattered." The tone in the Namek's voice didn't show it.

"Don't let it get to you head. I'm still going to kill you. This is how." He spread the fingers on his hands out. "You won't know what hit you." 18, Gogeta, and Piccolo watched closely. Boo wasn't helpless, so the battle wasn't over yet. Boo spread his arms out until they were extended to full normal length. Then he reached for the sky.

"Just what do you think you are doing now, Boo?" demanded 18. She was tired of all the games. If she had her way 18 would just feed him all the energy she could muster right down his throat.

"You will see… or will you?" 18 didn't know what he was talking about. Neither did Gogeta. Piccolo, on the other hand, figured it out just in time. Boo's hands lowered to his face and then there was nothing but white. Without knowing it 18 and Gogeta fell to the floor, grabbing at their eyes. Piccolo had raised his arm over his before the flash, but when he lowered it Boo was already gone.

"Damn it! He must have remembered that from Cell!" Piccolo, who was normally very good at controlling his temper, began to lose it. That Solar Flare was meant to mock him. It hadn't worked as planned… or had it. It didn't matter. Boo used the same plan that Cell had to get away. Piccolo had to stop him. He had one thing going for him though. Boo wasn't trying to mask his getaway. He was in the air. Piccolo blasted off after him, not knowing just yet what his plan was. All he knew was that they were going to where there was another fight going on and those involved were in for an uninvited guest.

**********

Buu fired away from about 20 feet out. His repeated blasts started to cover his opponent in smoke but it was easy to sense Nenks. He wasn't exactly trying to hide his power. Buu ceased his barrage. It wasn't having any effect. Buu knew that without having to visually see the immediate effect. It was time for a more direct approach. As he approached his enemy in a mad dash Buu could feel his sanity slowly slipping. That was good.

Wham!

Out the other side of the black mass they came, rolling around like kids playing in the mud. This battle was a little more lethal. Nenks had been taken just slightly off guard and Buu had him pinned to the ground with one hand. Buu tried to speak, but nothing came out besides his sadistic giggle. His fist hit the ground, as Nenks rolled his head out of harms way just in time. Buu used his other hand, but this time a fist stopped it. He grabbed Buu by the arm and kicked him overhead, maintaining his grip. Nenks then somersaulted backward until he was now on top off Buu. It was then that the pummeling began. Simple rights and lefts, but they made their point clear.

"He's beating him." Bulma leaned forward to get a better view of the entire situation. The fact that her son and his greatest rival had fused still was weighing on her mind, but there was also the fact that as a fusion… they weren't half bad. Gotenks wasn't nearly as strong as the new fusion, Nenks. Of course that had to do with the fact that Nenks was made up of a more powerful Trunks and a more powerful Hunter.

"Not only that," said ChiChi, "But he's doing it without really trying. It's like there is no challenge."

"He's a superior fighter." B-chan stepped forward. "You should have known that when they fused." ChiChi and Bulma looked at b-chan like she was an alien.

"I've been meaning to ask you something…" She scratched her head as Bulma thought for a second. "How do you know all of this?"

"I suppose it has something to do with being the daughter of the mad man who decided to play god and make all of this happen. Information gets around pretty quick in circumstances like that." 

"Right…" She went back to watching the slaughter between Buu and Nenks. Nenks was now holding Buu up by the neck, crushing it within his hands. And then there was trouble. Everyone felt it. B-chan, ChiChi, Bulma, and even Nenks. It was Boo, probably coming to make a quick double team. B-chan was up in the air and half way gone before Bulma reached out and grabbed her. "You aren't going to try what I think you are… tell me you aren't."

"Nenks is strong, but he might not be able to fight both on his own. Someone has to even the odds."

"Goku and Vegeta shouldn't be far behind. Let them handle it. If you go there you'll get killed!" B-chan wrenched her hand away from Bulma and flew off. ChiChi stared at her friend who looked like her head was about to pop off from stress.

"Bulma…?" The question was asked quietly so as not to incur the wrath of the evil demon standing before her.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaarghhhhhhh! She's just as bad as Vegeta and Hunter!"

"But-" Bulma was gone before ChiChi said anything more. Despite it being against her best judgement Bulma still was finding it necessary to involve herself in the fight. ChiChi followed from behind, not knowing what her effectiveness would be. They both closed in on B-chan, who had a golden glow surrounding her. She dropped behind Nenks, which put her in the path of the oncoming Boo. Bulma came to a screeching halt in mid-air, and ChiChi almost collided with her.

"What is she doing?" B-chan eyes had locked on a spot on Nenks back. In that spot a small, purple, swirling circle was becoming visible. It ballooned up to about 12 inches.

"It looks like some sort of hole." Bulma placed her chin on her hand

"Hmmmm… maybe it's a dimensional hole, but if it is then where does it lead? Okay, ChiChi. Get ready. We are going to try to slow Boo down with a Hamehameka Wave." ChiChi nodded.

"I'm ready." The two women maneuvered their left arms in front of them, keeping the palms facing forward with the fingers clawed. The right hand was placed in the same position on top of the left. It was then rolled around to the back, palm facing downward. They did the motion in unison.

"Ha…Me…Ha…Me…KA!" The ki beam that resulted from the both of them fusing their energy was enormous. And it was right on target for the incoming Boo. It was only a few seconds before impact that he even noticed that he was being attacked. That was plenty of time. He opened up a double deluxe doughnut sized hole in his stomach and the beam passed right through him without leaving so much as a singed cell.

"We missed!" shouted ChiChi in frustration. Then it all turned to fear as Boo looked their way. Nenks finally turned around to face him, but his job was already done. He rushed the two ladies, moving his arms to his sides. They became slender and hard, making points at the end. Boo was now a walking weapon with swords for arms. His first act as the new killing machine was to even up the odds a little bit. His target was the women fusion… or the two that made it up.

"Time to go to Hell!" Each one of the lethal blades was plunged deep into the gut of ChiChi and Bulma. They're gasps for air couldn't compensate for their loss of blood or oxygen. They had no chance to live. It was over soon. They were dead.

**********


	11. 2X Cross

Fusion…HA! 2- The Dead Zone

Part 11- 2X Cross

In a flash it was over. No one saw it coming. Boo had simply charged in past everyone, intent on a simple task; kill a fusion, any fusion. That one happened to be Chima, and she wasn't formed at the time. Bulma and ChiChi wouldn't have been able to get out of the way in time unless they had been. It didn't matter though. It was over at that point. Nenks was completely silent. B-chan tried to speak, but was getting more of the same.

"There. Those mettlesome two are out of the way. Things are a bit more even now." Boo retracted his blades and morphed them back into hands. He caught the two bodies before they fell and tossed them at Nenks. All he could do was stare at them. Even then Buu did a flip kick that forced Nenks to finally let go of him. Buu flew over to his brother. Nenks didn't care. Neither did b-chan. All they could do was stare.

"It looks like you might have made them cry- Ha!" Buu started laughing like never before, mocking the women on the floor, pointing and gawking. Nenks finally started to move toward them, kneeling down beside Bulma. Half of him didn't really care all that much… the other half was being torn apart. Krillan, who had stayed out of everything for a while, ran over to them. All the time he kept wondering; why?

"I'll take them away from here. I seem to be doing a lot of that today…" He tugged on b-chan's arm. "I need your help. If they were just hurt I'd carry both of them, but in this case that would be disrespectful."

"…Okay." She picked up Bulma in her arms, trying to make her as "comfortable as possible". It was going to be a long silent trip.

"Hmmm…" wondered Boo out aloud. "Brother, what do you think about killing those two? The monk head would make a nice bowling ball." As Buu laughed even harder Nenks snapped out of it all and shot a glance over the both of them.

"Maybe he would, but I think I want to kill the girl. Her tail would make a decent belt." B-chan heard that, and she didn't like the idea. Nenks heard that as well and… he hated the idea. If one side of him was rebelling against being upset before it had quit now.

"I'll bet you the fusion breaks down and cries first before he does anything else." Buu got a good chuckle out of that one, a depraved chuckle.

"Well he's about to do something right now." Nenks clenched his fist, trying to hold his anger down. It was all consuming, but it was clouding him. He couldn't think straight. He wanted to punch, kick, blast, and kill them all at the same time. It wasn't possible, but that was all that would quench his thirst for revenge at the moment. He took a deep breath, hoping to clear his head with it. It worked… kind of.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" His ki soared ski high and he unleashed an amateurish blast that had no real form. Boo and Buu were gone before it came within 50 yards. The second downside is that it had sapped a lot of Nenks energy. It would be regained in the next few moments, most of it, but he was now much more vulnerable. That was the least of his worries at the time. The big question was where did they go?

"Um… Nenks…?" It was b-chan, and she was whispering. Nenks faced her, and saw yet another horror. There were two of them and they were in the form of the two demons.

"Now fusion, you have yourself in quite a dilemma. It seems you have a choice to make, and so soon after such a heart-wrenching loss." Boo smirked his evil way. The tables were now turned. Before they were on the run, but now the fusions were being put to the test. It was great, and the fun was just starting.

"If you harm one-"

"Don't bother giving me the sob story." Boo squeezed his grip on b-chan's neck. "If I have to listen to another word her neck gets bent in a way it wasn't meant to… Good. Your silence says you understand. Now be a good boy and look over at my brother. He's got another present." Nenks knew what it was before he saw it. The other one had his friend (half friend) Krillan. Boo was strangling him in much the same way that Nenks had him.

"I think he understands finally what's at stake." Indeed he did. That reckless blast earlier had sapped some of his strength and they had took advantage, taking hostages and moving apart so that they couldn't be reached quickly.

"Now you have a choice to make. Your friend the Namek is coming and he wants to break up this little party. You have until he gets here to decide which one you want to save. Don't pick and they both die. It's a simple game. You have about one minute."

"Or pop goes the bald head!" Buu broke out in laughter, infuriating Nenks even more. There wasn't anything he could do at the moment, but they were going to pay soon. Nenks was going to pay too. He couldn't just save one of them and not the other. At the same time he couldn't let them both die.

_They've backed me into a corner. I need Piccolo's help with this one, but he's not close enough. By the time he gets here it will be too late. They'll have already killed both b-chan and Krillan. I have to act alone. How do I get to both of them at once?_ The answer was simpler than Nenks gave it credit for. He crossed his arms over his chest in an "X". He was grinning all over. They weren't going to believe this one.

"I think he's going to try to attack," said Buu, still keeping Krillan in his iron grip. He was making Krillan's face turn all sorts of shades of blue.

"Let him. He's just one person and he has no help-"

**********

"Tell me this is some sort of joke. Dr. Boo knew I was going to come up here and he is trying to make me look stupid." Goten was face to face, or should it be ankle to face, with about 5 little black clothed ninja toys. They walked in a straight line, marching like toy soldiers. Goten's face faulted.

"Ninja scouts!" yelled the first one as loud as it could (which turned out to be about normal volume). "Attack!" The little imps bounded into action, jumping all over Goten. They kicked and clawed, punched and bit. Goten simply stood there with a look of concern for the mental well being of Doctor Boo. One of the little one's tried to climb up to his face. It was on his chest. Goten flicked it off and it fell to pieces on the wall.

"That was way too easy."

"He killed Pedro!" yelled the leader again. "Kick him in the shin!" All at once they dropped to the floor and walloped him on the foot. Goten barely felt it. He began to wonder if they even knew how small they were. Not wanting them to get their hopes up he kicked two of them, destroying them instantly.

"This is sad… really. This is sad." He shook his head is disbelief. These little toy soldiers were between him and freeing his friends. Boo must have no respect for him at all.

"No! Henry! Felix! Not you! FELIX!!!" The leader fell all of a fraction of an inch to his knees and began to weep. The last remaining ninja other than himself came over to console him. Goten slapped a hand over his forehead.

"This is too much. I can't take this."

"You will pay for this! I'll kill you with my bare hands." The leader began to pound on Goten's leg with fists of fury. They had no effect, but he didn't seem to realize that. Goten, not wanting to deal with them much more, bent down and picked the both of them up. He dropped them outside of the doorway and placed the door back in its proper place. Even though it wasn't on its hinges the two still weren't strong enough to push it down.

"That was disturbing. Now to find-"

Launching "Monkey" countermeasures.

"Oh for the love of-" The same door opened and out jumped 2 monkeys. One was wearing clothing like that of Goku. The other was wearing Vegeta clothes. Goten had to fight back a laugh. Even with Vegeta no where near here if he ever found out… The first monkey's mouth began to move.

"You will not escape the wrath of Moku and Monketa!" The voice was coming from the monkey, but his lips were flapping randomly. Goten was just getting more confused by the second. "We are specially trained in many martial arts, but we like to just hit people." Monketa nodded as if he had too much sugar.

"…" Goten had opened his mouth to say something, but there just wasn't anything he could that would make sense.

"You need not talk, for we will do all the talking! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! You don't know that I am laughing not at my own joke, but at you. That is what makes you stupid. We will crush your stupid brain." Monketa nodded again.

"Sure…" Goten decided to humor them now, seeing as how all reason had been thrown out the window.

"I detect sarcasm in your voice. Do you not believe the awesome force of our power?"

"…"

"Then I will show you!" Moku did a back flipped and landed in the crane position.

"Ooooooooo…" Monketa pretended to be impressed. Goten 'pretended' that he thought that both of the monkeys were idiots.

"Behold the dazzling display of my agility! Ha!" Moku kicked around a few times and chopped at the air. Monketa watched him, amazed by the display. Goten backed up to the doorway, 'scared for his life'. He leaned on it and it fell down. On the outside, just out of range of the top of the door, were the ninjas. They looked as if their hearts (Not that they had any) had stopped.

"We were about to give up, but now we have you right where we want you!" The ninjas stormed in the room. That's when they saw the monkeys. "You!" The ninjas pointed accusing fingers at the monkeys.

"You!" The monkeys pointed fingers back at the ninja.

"Our mortal enemies!" The ninja crouched down into what looked like a defensive position, but they were in fact trying to tie their shoes. "We don't have time to deal with you now. We must make him pay for what he did to our friends."

"You will not!" Moku's lips flapped yet again, completely out of sync with his words. "We have chosen to be his destroyers. It will be us who deliver the final blow. Hoo Ha!" Moku did a jab and Monketa clapped.

"Never!" The two ninja jumped at the monkeys and went at it. While the ninja's attacked with kicks and punches, the monkeys used their fingers to defend. Goten nonchalantly walked by them to the door from which they had all come. He didn't need anymore craziness. Anything else in there was going to be stopped before he lost his mind. He stepped in the pitch-black room and was about to use his ki to light it when the door slammed behind him. There was a whirling sound, and then the floor began to move downward.

"It's an elevator. It's taking me away from that control room. I should have taken my chances with the foreign monkeys and the delusional toy ninjas." The elevator stopped soon thereafter. Goten had no idea what floor he was on, but he figured that he was below the first level. The door opened and Goten stepped out into a corridor only lit by lights that were running along the middle of the wall. They were casting a soft, blue glow. It gave the hallway a ghostly feel to it. That was enough to make Goten power-walk the entire way. A wall was all he could find two corners later. There was no other way to go. It was a dead end.

"That can't be right." Goten approached the wall in and ran his hand over it. It shot up into the ceiling, revealing a very dark, wide-open space. There was something at the far end that Goten couldn't really make out. All he knew was that it was big. There was another large object closer, about half the distance of the first. It was to the left. It was red and thick. Goten couldn't really see it either. He began to approach it when it powered on. It rose off of the ground and for the first time Goten noticed that it had legs. It had arms as well.

"It's like a big person. A really big person." On top of the machine it had a head. It was metallically hooded, so the face couldn't be seen. The only things visible in that area were the eyes, which were bright red. The machine turned to Goten, eyes flashing evilly.

"Target acquired. Proceeding to phase two: Elimination of target"

"Uh oh." Goten watched the machine's movements closely, trying to make them out. Suddenly the lights flicked on and he was able to see what he was up against clearly. It was like it was a giant version of death. It had long Saiyan-like shoulder guards that were a blood red color. The only other color red on the suit was it's metallic boots. Ironically on the lower outsides of them there were small white wings like those of an angel.

"Son Goten," came a monstrous voice from inside the mech. It had such a cold and callous tone to it that Goten had to double check with himself to make sure that it was only audio from the mech. Then his problems seemed to go into the red zone. Not visible before, Goten finally spotted an insanely large battle axe in the right hand of the machine. There wasn't any question what it was meant to do. Goten whimpered… a lot.

"I hope one of those little ninjas aren't in there."

**********

"How could I have fallen for such a stupid trick?" 18 rubbed her eyes again. Her vision was fuzzy, but not too bad. She could get around. She found Gogeta over by a body on the ground. 18 felt old anger and frustrations building up to new levels. It was Cell. The worst part was that Gogeta looked like he was trying to revive him. "What are you doing?!"

"I'm going to try to wake him up. He and the others have to get to Dende's lookout." 18 was flabbergasted. Gogeta was trying to help some of his most powerful enemies.

"Why is that? What reason could you possibly have for wanting to help him!" 18 stormed over to Cell and kicked him in the face. That was enough to get him moving. Gogeta cracked a smile. 18 just turned her back. Cell had his eyes closed as he shook his head. Gogeta was the first thing he saw when he opened them. That didn't leave him a lot to say.

"Can you teleport?" asked Gogeta.

"…Get away from me." Cell pushed him away and stumbled around until he remembered that in order to stand both of his feet had to be firmly under him. Still he had to keep his feet spread wide to brace himself.

"If you want to pay him back then go to Dende's lookout. You need to be rejuvenated first." 

Cell gave him a look of confusion. "Why would you help me?"

"I can't beat him now. My fusion will wear off too soon. I also need to convince these two that they can actually help us. By the time I can fuse again he will be more powerful than ever before. Still we might have a chance if everyone, including you, are able to fight together." 

Cell considered the offer. Goku wasn't really his enemy, and he was indifferent to Vegeta. It was Gohan that he loathed. This idea might prove useful, and Cell did want to get his chance to fight Boo again. He stood up straight. "Fine. I'll do it." 

Gogeta nodded. 18 huffed. That was when Cell first noticed her. "18. Long time, no see." He grinned and placed his fingers on his head. Gogeta grabbed him by the arm.

"Just one more thing."

"What is that?" 

Gogeta zanzokened behind 18 and slapped her across the neck. She flopped to the ground and he grabbed her by the back of her shirt. He handed her to Cell. "Take her with you. She doesn't need to be around her right now." 

Cell grinned evilly. "A fusion… one of these days I'm going to have to fight you."

"Maybe." Seconds later Cell transported himself away with 18 under his arm. Gogeta peered down at the two on the ground. Garlic Jr. would probably give him a song and dance about why he didn't want their help and he could do it on his own. Losing him would be of little consequence. Frieza… was much more valuable, but there was a huge problem. The ones trying to talk him into it were Goku and Vegeta. Frieza hated Goku more than anything in existence. Frieza wasn't too fond of Vegeta either, and they had their differences. It was going to be a circus trying to just talk to him. He wasn't awake just yet, but soon. Gogeta had some time. Not much left as a fusion, but it was time none the less. He could go help Piccolo, but something told him that teleporting to the battlefield would be a grave mistake. Besides Piccolo could handle everything for now. Everyone has to make sacrifices.

**********

"There he is." Aspa closed in on her target, Dr. Boo. He was on the ground with Devil and Gohan towering in front of him. Rae came up behind Aspa, the iron grip of the Saiyan being long since released when they found everyone had already stopped.

"He has Gohan and Videl still." They broke out of their ki and landed. Gohan and Devil inched in front of Dr. Boo just a little bit more to make it clear that no one was going to get to him. Aspa paid them no mind. To her they weren't there. Even Rae had disappeared from her senses. She was alone with her husband, and he had a lot to answer for.

"Yoshu…"

"Aspa. You- you are alive and well." He began to push through his guards, but they nudged him back when Rae raised her ki slightly.

"Rae. Stand aside. I need a chance to talk to him alone."

"…I understand." Rae hesitated, still not wanting to either leave Aspa alone or leave her friends in the clutches of Boo. She did understand the significance of them talking, so that outweighed her own worries. She made a hastily exit.

"Gohan, Videl. You may leave. Keep your eyes and ears open for Boo." They both gave quick nods and then walked away without a word. That left only Aspa and Dr. Boo.

"Yoshu…"

"Let me guess. You've come here to try to stop me, possibly talk some sense in me. My dear Aspa, do you think that if I was willing to go this far that I would let you stop me?"

"Maybe. There is still a chance to stop. All you have to do is return Gohan and Videl to the way they were. That's how it begins." 

Dr. Boo grinned, amused by her words. "Really? Let me ask you something, Aspa. If I were to simply release them, what will happen to myself?" He stuck a finger out, pointing in the general direction of the battles that were taking place. "There is more than one person out there that would like to make me pay for things I have done."

"And who do you blame for that?" Aspa crossed her arms over her chest. "You are to blame for everything that these people feel for you. You haven't exactly tried to get on their good sides."

"I don't blame anyone for anything besides Gohan being the one to hurt you." Dr. Boo flashed a black look at Gohan. "He's the one to blame for everything. This has all come about because of his mistake." 

"You really believe that was a mistake?! He was trying to save the world, Yoshu!" She stormed over to him, getting in his face to punctuate her point. "With the weight of the world on his head he did what he had to do and you should be happy that he did it! If you want to blame anyone then blame Cell. He is the one at fault. Now I am healed and feeling much better. You don't have to worry about getting revenge because I don't want it. You were doing it for me, remember? Or has your view on that changed as well? Tell me, Yoshu. What is your motivation now that I am alive and well?

"…Domination. I will dominate the world. After that I will take the strongest fighters and use them to dominate planet after planet. From there my power will spread everywhere…"

"And what of me? Did you decide that I was expendable? Have you given up on our marriage? What about our daughter?" 

"She is too far gone for me to take her back. I will not hurt her unless she insists on getting in my way." Aspa slightly feel back a step. She had just heard her husband say basically that he would harm his daughter if he had to. She was of no consequence either. It was clear that the Yoshu that she knew was gone and that Dr. Boo had taken over like a split personality. Aspa picked Dr. Boo up by his collar and lifted him high into the air.

"Now listen to me, Dr. Boo. If you try to go through with this plan not only will Goku and his friends stop you, but I shall be right there helping them. You don't have a chance. Now listen very closely because I'm only going to say this next part once. B-chan is my daughter and whether you care anymore or not she is also yours. She is the most important thing to both of us. You know that as well as I do. If you, or any of your "soldiers", attempt to harm one hair on her head… I will come for you and I will kill you."

"Not if you're dead already."

"…?"

"Devil. Get rid of Ms. Aspa." Devil's head sprung up and to the side, locking its eyes in on the target. With the fury of a wild boar she came, one thought running through her mind. Aspa is the enemy; I must kill her. Aspa threw Dr. Boo right in her path. A failsafe in Devil's mind caused her to save him. Aspa took that chance to grab Rae's hand and blast off. Soon Devil was after them.

"What are you doing Aspa?" asked Rae. She was still trying to hold on to Aspa's hand, but their current speed was making that very difficult. She latched on with her other hand and was able to start using her own ki to fly, but Aspa was going too much faster for it to make much of a difference.

"We have to get a way from here. If we don't Yoshu might have Gohan join in. At least this way we will have a chance to get her alone. Maybe we can get lucky and not have to fight her."

"Do you think that might happen?" There was silence. Rae and Aspa both knew it wasn't going to. They might be able to slow her down, but Devil was going to keep going until she succeeded in her mission, or died trying. Neither of those scenarios was any good for the duo, so they were going to have to make one of their own. How was the question?

"Rae, do you think you could keep her occupied for just a few seconds?"

"Videl?" Rae glanced back at their assailant. She wasn't too far behind them, and her face looked like that of a gremlin. She was ready to chew through leather. "I don't know."

"All I need is about 20 seconds. I've got a plan. If it works we might be able to free her from Yoshu's control. I just need to get something from inside his lab. That's where we are headed now, so do you think that you might be able to find some way to occupy her time?"

"I think so, if it's for only 20 seconds. I should be able to get her attention. What do you have in mind?"

"You'll see. Videl won't."

**********

WHAM!

KAPOW!

Both Boo and his brother were nailed by two solid hits each. B-chan and Krillan were released and quickly were out of harms way. They cleared the area again, moving toward the approaching Piccolo. That was the best thing they could do.

"Can you believe that?" asked Krillan. B-chan shook her head.

"I didn't know he could do that." They sped off, leaving the battlefield. Boo and Buu wiped their faces off, the stinging sensation of the shots they had just received still a lasting impression. Neither one of them could think of a thing to say. When things were getting good they always found a way to get worse. Nenks didn't seem to mind the turn of events though. Neither did Hunter or Trunks.

"If you could only see the looks on your faces." Hunter laughed hysterically, pointing at the brothers as if they were a freak show. Trunks chuckled a bit as well. Nenks just stared at the two.

"Now that you don't have any hostages…" Trunks reached behind his back and pulled out his sword. He brought it around and lowered it until the tip was just between his eyes.

"Now you're talking my game, Trunks." Hunter grinned with evil intentions. He and Trunks were finally on the same page. That meant they could kick some ass. Hunter let the energy in him build up. The anticipation was playing hell with his ki levels.

"If you think that in your present state you can take the both of us…" started Boo, "you are deadly mistaken." He opened his hand and fired a volley of blasts at both Trunks and Hunter. He dodged around. That's when Buu went to work. He flew into the fray and in moments took Hunter out of the sky with a solid right.

"Hunter!"

"You should worry about yourself, boy!" Boo used two hands to blast Trunks, and the demi-Saiyan was sent careening through the air. He skidded along the ground before rolling to his feet. He ran back the entire way, his sword poised above his head to attack.

"Aaaaahhhhh!" He slashed from a side-to-side form. Boo not only jumped over it, but he landed on the sword.

"You missed." Trunks gritted his teeth and growled. "Don't even think about moving. The second you try to I'll make you wish you hadn't."

"Let's see you try!" Trunks pulled back, making Boo fall off. He then tried to chop him down with the sword. Boo caught him by the hands and twisted them. An involuntary reflex caused him to drop the sword and flip over, landing roughly on his back. The weapon never touched the ground as Boo snagged it before it had a chance.

"I tried." Trunks flipped up to his feet in a hurry. Boo had his sword and that wasn't good. Trunks balled up his fists, ready to try and stop him. "Run." The first hit came ultra fast. Trunks took it in the chest. It wasn't even hard, but it served notice that Boo was indeed fast enough to slash him with sword if he wanted to.

"You won't get a chance to use that on me. Piccolo will be here in just a few seconds." Boo paused just in front of Trunks, thinking to himself.

"You're right," he said. Then he flew away. Trunks was stunned. Boo flew over to his brother. Buu had Hunter pinned down and was having the time of his life. Whenever Hunter tried to punch him Buu would block it before it made it half way and then smack him. Hunter was infuriated, but could do nothing about it. Buu noticed his brother behind him but didn't turn to see him. He was busy at the moment.

"What is it?"

"The Namek is almost here. I plan to deal with him most severely."

"Good. I don't like green people." Boo had a small laugh at that.

"Neither do I. Then again, I never liked you either." Buu ignored the jibe. Boo snarled, locking his arms around his brother's neck and gaining his full attention.

"What- are you doing?!" 

Boo tightened his grip. Not even his brother could do a thing about it. Then his body started to seep over Buu's shoulders. Frantically the captured demon tried to escape, but there was no escaping. He was trapped. His brother had betrayed him. 

"I need your power to defeat the Namek, brother. Don't worry. You will become part of the most dominant force in the universe. You will still have your revenge!" By this point Buu couldn't say anything audible because his mouth was covered. He entire body was sucked in soon after. Boo steadily broke all of his newfound power down so that he could use it. Hunter crawled back and then stumbled to his feet. He flew past Boo and over to Nenks. Trunks did the same. They stood on either side of him and phased back into the now transparent fighter. He had been an image, left after the split form. Soon he was the real deal again.

"This isn't good." Nenks' eyes wavered just a second as Piccolo landed right next to him.

"Seems like I made it just in time."

"I wouldn't say that." The only sign of that bothering Piccolo was a slight twitch of his left eye.

"What did he do?" 

"Boo just united with his brother, forcefully actually. That's the end result." The both of them were looking basically at Boo. The difference? He was now Mr. Universe, arms and legs layered with muscles. He had also grown slightly larger. One look at his face made it clear that he had also grown a bit more psychotic.

"If they fused then he might lose power." A few seconds later Piccolo knew that wasn't the case. Boo was getting stronger and stronger. They had to act.

"Do you think we can attack him?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure that while he has all of his ki building up around him that we could do any damage. His defense is at its peak right now." Nenks stared at the pink monster. He was glowing with a pink energy. Even though he had his back to the two fighters Nenks and Piccolo knew that Boo had his thoughts on them.

"We have to try something before he-" Just like that it ended. Boo, buffed out, was hunched over standing on the floor. He straightened up, stretching his back out.

"Oh that does feel much better." His voice was brimming with confidence. "I haven't felt this good since… since I killed those two women. What were their names again?" Piccolo knew that one was directed at Nenks. Nenks knew it too. He knew that Boo was only trying to anger him. It didn't matter. It worked.

"You bastard! I…" Nenks couldn't find the words to describe what he wanted to say. There weren't any.

"Don't worry, fusion. You will get your chance to fight me, but first things are first. Piccolo- your death is my primary concern right now" Boo stalked forth, like a looming assassin. "You will fight me. You will die. I will kill this fusion. I will kill the other. No one will live." Piccolo readied himself in his battle position, but he still had chills running up his spine. Boo wasn't just Boo anymore. He was Boo and Buu. He was…

"He's a Super Boo," Piccolo whispered.

"That's right," replied Boo, overhearing Piccolo's comment. "You might have been prepared for me before, but do you think you can survive me now?"

**********

Gogeta listened to the sounds of the earth. He wondered if they would all be there much longer. Boo had to be defeated, as well as his brother, but there was still a bit of doubt about whether it were possible. He had beaten Boo before. He had done it again just recently, but then Boo ran away. If he did that there was a reason. Boo had a plan. That meant that things were going to get harder before they were any easier.

"I think I might have given him too much. I should have killed him off as soon as he released everyone else." Gogeta sighed and looked to the sky. He closed his eyes. "Maybe Goku and Vegeta can do a better job than I did." A bright flash encased him, and then he was two people again. Goku and Vegeta landed on their bottoms.

"The fusion wore off," stated Goku. He dusted himself off as he stood. Vegeta did the same. Then he turned his face up and clenched his fists when he saw Frieza. Goku's face hardened, but he wasn't as appalled. Neither one of them paid Garlic Junior much mind.

"For years I begged for the chance to face him again." Vegeta's voice was low and emotional. "He killed my people. He killed my father. He killed me. I wanted to get him back. Now I have that chance." Vegeta faced an open palm right at Frieza's head. "And I won't miss it."

"Urrrghhh." Frieza (luckily for him) sat up at that moment. His head was groggy and his vision wasn't there yet, but he was alive. Vegeta didn't move an inch. He just waited. Frieza put both of his knees under his stomach and rubbed his head and eyes.

"Frieza!" Vegeta's voice echoed over the many miles of canyon. The changling heard it well, and he recognized it too. He snapped to attention and couldn't believe his eyes. Son Goku… the man who had defeated him on Namek, was standing right in front of him and looking smug and nonchalant. Vegeta, on the other hand, was a volcano on the brink of eruption.

"It's… you." Frieza was obsessed with Goku. "It's… you."

"That's right, Frieza. It's me. Don't ever forget it. I defeated you. Nothing but a monkey, remember?" Frieza did remember, and it pissed him off.

"You got lucky, monkey! I'll destroy you now!"

"You don't have the time. In a few minutes we are going to be attacked by an enemy with power far superior to yours. You remember Boo, don't you?" Once again Frieza remembered. Boo had gone into Hell and absorbed him just after the Ginyu Force had made fools out of themselves for the umpteenth time. It had been the most unpleasant experience outside of his falling at the hands of the Saiyan. It wasn't something he wanted to repeat.

"You will get no help from me, monkey! I'll be happy to watch you get torn to bits. Afterward I will rise and kill the one who did it and reassert myself as the most powerful in the universe!" Frieza had a long-winded laugh after that. Both Goku and Vegeta knew he was delusional if he thought that he was going to be able to defeat Boo. It seemed like there wasn't much else to do. Cell had already half agreed to help, but that was about all of the help they would have. Garlic Jr. was now getting up, but he'd probably have a similar reaction. There was no real point in trying.

"Stop wasting our time, Kakarotto. That thing will be on his way here. If we aren't ready to fight him it won't be much of a struggle. He still has to go through the Namek first. You know Piccolo won't survive this time, don't you?" Goku's head seemed to drop and then pull itself back up as he acknowledged that he did understand. Their sixth sense about ki levels helped them out immensely but it also told them when things were hopeless.

"Why don't you try to save him, monkey?" It had been a while since Frieza had anything to tease Goku about. Doing things of that nature often satisfied his bitterness. "Are you afraid that you might die? You can't beat a little pink gumball?" There was no reply. Goku appeared deep in thought, facing the place that Super Boo would be in the distance. "I hope I didn't hurt your feelings. I'd much rather make you suffer like I did…" Deceptively Frieza calmed down, only to lunge at Goku like an attacking tiger. He swiped with a crooked hand, but Goku snatched it and almost crushed it right after.

"I might not be able to beat him, but I was able to beat you. If I do die… remember that it was him that did me in, not you. The immortal Frieza couldn't beat the lowly Saiyan." He lifted off of the floor and floated toward the ki. He was completely out of sight before Garlic Jr. came to fully. He rubbed his head and blinked his eyes a few times.

"Uhhh… what hit me?" That's when Frieza and Vegeta came into view. Garlic knew Frieza by reputation. He recognized him immediately. He did not, however, know who Vegeta was. Frieza stepped over to Garlic, looking down on him the entire time.

"Get up!" He kicked Garlic none-too-gently in the shin. Garlic rolled over and got up, fuming at Frieza.

"What the hell?!"

"Move! You're in my way!" It wasn't true, but Frieza felt the need to make himself feel important at the moment. Right now he was just a small time player in a much bigger game. He wasn't used to that.

"Maybe I'll make my way over you!" Garlic had no idea what the argument was about, but he wasn't about to lose. Vegeta, on the other hand, couldn't help but be disgusted. Frieza had lowered himself to trying to make himself feel important by making Garlic feel small. It made killing him less of a rewarding experience. Who wants to kill someone who has hit rock bottom? When Vegeta's father died Frieza was at the top of his game. Only a battle with that Frieza would make his revenge mean even the smallest of things.

"Children." Vegeta had to distance himself from the two before he threw up. He walked away.

"My dear Vegeta…" Frieza folded his arms. "Leaving so soon? I thought you wanted to kill me." Vegeta never even paused. He completely ignored all of the comments. Frieza didn't like that, so he dug deeper. "Your father made the most wonderful scream when I killed him… and it was so easy."

"…" His muscles tensed, his eye twitched, and he almost tripped, but other than that he didn't do anything. Frieza was trying to bait him, but as he had already witnessed- it wasn't worth it.

"It was such a simple process. All I did was shoot him. I killed him, that fool Bardock, the entire Saiyan race… I even killed you, didn't I?" Frieza pretended to wonder whether or not he had done the deed or not. "Yes. Just before I fought the monkey. I remember. You were crying like a little girl about how I made you such a bad man. Boo hoo." Frieza now pretended to be crying and Garlic was now cracking up. Vegeta stopped moving and peeked back over his shoulder.

"That's right. Just before you lost to your worst nightmare- a Super Saiyan." Vegeta looked forward again. "I am not going to fight you now, Frieza. In fact you disgust me. You aren't what you used to be. Your power is a joke. I could use my Super Saiyan level and kill you easily. Oh wait. You're already dead. Oops. Kakarotto beat me to it."

"Shut up, Saiyan."

"You don't seem to like to hear things about yourself being as weak as you really are, Frieza. Too bad. For years I felt the hunger to avenge my father's death. In true Saiyan tradition I was the only one who was supposed to kill him. Therefore I was to ascend to the throne of my race. Because of you I am the Prince of a near extinct race."

"You make it sound like I should be sorry about it. It rather enjoyed exterminating the whole lot of you. You were beginning to smell."

"We were getting too strong for you. You didn't want us to defeat your flunkies. If you couldn't boss anyone and you had to kill everyone then there wouldn't be much left to rule, now would there? I know your games, Frieza. I will avenge my father's death, but you aren't worthy to die by my hands." That hit home. Frieza was livid. Veins were showing up everywhere that was possible. Frieza was on the verge of blowing up the planet, but the only thing stopping him was that he somehow knew it wouldn't do a thing to stop Boo.

"You think I have to prove my worth to you? I have no equal!" Frieza lifted into the sky, raging with power and anger. "I'm going to do you a favor and bring back that bastard's head with the monkey's body attached." There was a crack of sound as Frieza took off at blazing speed. Vegeta managed a little smirk afterward. Whether Frieza survived the onslaught that was going to fall upon him wasn't really the point. All that mattered was that he had used the Changeling's own mind games against him. Whenever Frieza dealt with someone afraid of his power he used head games to further throw them off. Vegeta had just done the same to him. He made Frieza believe that he had to prove something so he went off on a suicide mission, which suited Vegeta just fine.

"Goodbye Frieza. May I never see you again."

**********


	12. SuperMan Turns Bad

Fusion…HA

Fusion…HA! 2- The Dead Zone

Part 12 – Superman Turns Bad

It had only been a few minutes since Frieza had gone on his one-way trip to his second death, but to Vegeta it felt like ages.He had contemplated many things in that time.The super power that was Frieza had destroyed his family, his people, and his planet.Vegeta had always dreamed of killing Frieza. It was to be his crowning achievement.Instead the one who got the job done was his son.Frieza was dead, but because Trunks didn't know anything about his heritage the crimes had not been avenged.Vegeta had realized this after Frieza's departure.

"I let him go."That was the only thing that he could manage to say.Before he had cited the fact that Frieza wasn't himself.He wasn't the omnipotent ruler whose death was the highest goal that Vegeta hoped to attain in his life.Now Frieza was now just another fighter, one who could be killed at will.Still that didn't excuse all he had done to the Saiyan race in general.Vegeta had far too much pride to allow him to go… but yet he had.

_After Kakarotto defeated Frieza we all thought that he was dead.Even though at the time I was more than happy to take my place as the universe's most powerful fighter**, I still felt a slight emptiness.When Frieza arrived back on Earth I saw yet another chance to fulfill part of my destiny, the other part being the destruction of Kakarotto.My blasted son saw to it that I never had a chance to try.Just a few minutes ago I had my third chance and I let him go…**_

Vegeta had gone over the situation a few times in his head, and the more he thought about it the more he hated it.But then he began to smile.Frieza was on his way to get killed, but no one said that Vegeta couldn't kill him first.He could easily catch up with him and then bring him to a less volatile place to have the battle.It wouldn't last long at SSJ level.Frieza would know that.That was exactly the kind of reaction that Vegeta would want.One of fear and uncertainty.

"Frieza.Years ago you took from me my father, my people, and my home.You have escaped my hands on more than one occasion.My greatest rival and my own son have kept you from finally getting what you deserve.Now that my greatest rival is on his way to battle and my son is already **[ all ready ] in combat that leaves no one else to get in my way."The fight, the thing that fueled his very existence, was beginning to build inside of him.The anticipation was uncanny.Vegeta now wanted nothing more than to get his hands on Frieza.**

"Hey, Spikey." That remark brought Vegeta out from his world and back to reality.Reality was that he had been ignoring Garlic Jr. for the last 5 minutes.That didn't sit well with Mr. Immortality. ****

"I have no time to deal with you.Go off and get shot. **I have business to attend to."Vegeta built up his ki to its highest non-Super Saiyan point and went after Frieza.He didn't want to give away too much about his newfound levels.He was sure that Frieza didn't know too much about him now.It was going to be much fun to finally "explain" how strong he really was.**

"Hey!" Garlic yelled after him, but it was too late.Vegeta was long gone without a thought of coming back.That bothered Garlic only because he was now alone and bored.World, even universe, domination would have been a nice project at such a time of boredom, but with all the super powers around it wasn't likely that Garlic would get much of a chance to do anything.He wasn't stupid.If Boo could absorb him then something was wrong.Garlic Jr. would have to find somewhere else to go and rule.In the meantime he had to find something evil to do, so Garlic started walking in a random direction.Maybe he would find some inhabited town to destroy. ****

**********

Rae and Aspa were just a few miles away from the lab.In a little under a minute Aspa would get a chance to obtain the thing that she said would stop Devil.Unfortunately Rae was stuck with the job of keeping the good Doctor's creation busy for all of 20 seconds.In the long run it didn't seem like such a long time.20 seconds was only 1/3 of a minute.Of course that wasn't considering that the power levels of Rae and Devil were a bit uneven.Rae had grown stronger, but she still wasn't at Videl's level.That would make it more than a chore to fight her.Aspa was confident that whatever item or items she had in mind was going to be enough to break Doctor Boo's hold over Videl.

"Okay, Rae.This is it.We are almost there.I'm going to break away and try to get in a little faster.That way you don't have to deal with her for too long.Are you ready?"

"…"

Aspa didn't have to look back to know that Rae was nervous.She gripped Rae's hand and took a quick second to look back at her."Have confidence in yourself."With that Aspa separated from the group and went straight to Boo's laboratory.

"Confidence…" Rae's momentum began to fade.Devil's didn't.The gap between them, which was closing gradually, was now practically nothing."Uh oh!" Rae had to twist her upper torso to the side to avoid the sweeping punch that Videl had intended to hit her with.

"Ha!" The bio-android was facing her foe again, this time with her hands above her head.Rae recognized the attack and used her own ki as a shield."Masenko!"The blue beam split into six as it bled over the shield.Rae breathed a sigh of serious relief.

_I didn't think I could block an attack like that.Maybe-_

All the chatting to herself had taken Rae's eye off of her target.Devil had pounced in with a shoulder block.It threw Rae off of her game.She was unable to get control of her flight.Devil came in again.This time it was a kick to the face that caused the damage.Rae's hands went up to block it instinctively but it was long after the initial contact.In fact they missed her face because it had jerked back so far.As it began to settle back down on the neck normally another flying fist came into view.This time Rae made sure to block it with two hands.It took both to hold it back.

"Videl!" Rae pleaded.At this point she knew it wouldn't work, but she couldn't help but try.Anything to stop the fight.

Instead Devil used her free hand to send a power shot into Rae's gut.Devil slipped under Rae's curling body and faced her back to it.She took a hold of one of Rae's flailing arms.Videl then did 360 degree before releasing her grip on Rae's hand.The force of the flip had Rae heading for Dr. Boo's lab like a rocket.She crashed though a wall.Devil floated in mid-air for a second.She took a slight breath and brushed her hair aside.

"Must eliminate targets." She blinked once.The mission was simple.In a flash Devil was closing in on the building and Rae again.Then, from an opening that was not apparent in the building from Devil's vantage point, Aspa appeared again.In her hands was the item that she had previously mentioned.It was also on her shoulder.As Rae pulled herself out of the wreckage that she had made in the wall (or that Devil had made her make) she finally saw 'the item'.** **

Rae was slightly more than surprised."YOU'RE GOING TO BLAST HER WITH A BAZOOKA?!"

Devil froze in her tracks, petrified. 

Aspa lined her up in the sights of the targeting mechanism."Oh yeah."The long barrel, easily over 7 feet, was pointing directly at the head of one Videl."We needed firepower… now this is fire power.Dr. Boo specially made this one to deal with fighters Videl's caliber.Rae's jaw dropped as Aspa launched the rocket.It spiraled around but never lost its course.Devil finally decided that she should get out of the way and began to fire up her own afterburners.

Rae watched intently, wondering if it would ever catch its target.The rocket wasn't gaining any ground, but it wasn't losing any ground either.At this rate it was an endurance contest.Whichever of them gave out first was going to lose.That was what she thought until she saw Aspa moving toward the both of them.Devil saw her and changed courses.Aspa halted and waited.

"Aspa," cried Rae from the building below."What are you doing?"

Aspa gestured to her to calm down."I have everything under control."

"She's going to try to make the…"** Aspa held up a single hand that stopped Rae cold.Something was going on that the teen didn't understand just yet, but she did have confidence in the**** Saiyan, so she stopped talking and resided to being a spectator. **

"She won't know what hit her."

WHAM!

Devil was walloped by a massive shoulder from Aspa right in the chest and almost instantaneously plowed through the rocket.It promptly exploded and engulfed her in a pink goop.Before she had a chance to wonder what it was Devil collapsed.Aspa was right on top of things and caught her.****

"You got her," Rae shouted in a mix of surprise and excitement.They could try to un-program her now.

"When you ram someone into a missile at the speed I just did it isn't hard.The substance that has encased her reacts to her constant struggle.I can hold her without problems because it's sapping her strength.The more she tries to get free the more it will keep her still.Shall we go inside?"

... Aspa motioned to the lab.

Rae nodded. "Do you think that you can free her from Dr. Boo's power?"

Aspa floated down to the ground and ran with Devil into the lab without replying.

"Aspa?" called Rae from the sky.She dropped down in behind Aspa.

"Rae."Aspa faced her newfound friend with a look of extreme confidence, bordering on cockiness."You have to remember that I was the brain of the computer he used for a very long time.If I tap into his other computers I can basically download all of his data."****

****

"Download? Where?"

The Saiyan tapped her head to indicate where she intended to store the data. "I have an enhanced brain. I have photographic memory that I can access like a computer file. If I see something once that's all it takes."

"Cool!"

The two women ran down a few hallways until they made it back to the partially destroyed main laboratory room.Aspa laid Devil on the floor, taking care to let her down lightly.Devil hadn't done much struggling since hearing the story of how the goop worked.It didn't make any sense to get out if she wasn't going to be able to… yet.She hadn't given up; she was just biding her time.

Aspa pressed a button on the left side of the room that opened the room to where the operation had been performed originally.

"Rae…bring the patient."****

**********

"This is bad." Piccolo couldn't be more right.The being known as Boo could have been defeated. Piccolo himself had had a good chance at it.Even with his power up the fact was that Boo hadn't improved as much as the Z warriors.They had exceeded him in every aspect of the game.Speed.Endurance.Power.He was nothing compared to them.Sure he could beat up on Krillan, but he wasn't intent on killing him as much as someone else.

"I think you are right."That was the understatement of the day from Nenks.Boo had been strong before, despite his not being able to beat the fusions.If the thought ever occurred to him to destroy the planet it could have been done.Oddly enough, Boo was on a twisted sort of honor system.That meant he had to kill his enemy before doing anything else to jeopardize the planet.Gogeta had to die in a fight and by his hands… then he could commit genocide.

"You're wrong," grunted Boo."It's worse than that."Boo knew that the situation had changed.Not too long ago he had fought both Gogeta and Piccolo. **After having a chance to kill both in battle he found out something that he never thought that he would have to; that it was impossible to beat either Gogeta or Piccolo.The fusion part of it wasn't completely out of the question. ****It was made of two people.However, it bothered him immensely that Piccolo was also ahead of him.The Namek's**** power wasn't anywhere near the fusion's, but it was still enough to beat Boo.That was why he did what he did.His brother probably had sensed it coming as well.The merger was almost predestined.This time the good guys would have to deal with a fusion.**

"I think I need to split." Nenks closed his eyes and let his head rest backwards.In blur of motion he split back into Hunter and Trunks.Piccolo looked at them like they had just smoked crack and offered him some of it.

"Why did you do that?" he demanded.The Namek knew that his own power wasn't enough to beat a Super Boo.The fusion would be a great asset.If they were split then they weren't fused, hence less power.Less power bad.

Hunter cracked his neck, more because of nervousness than anything.Super Boo was indeed an imposing figure.Big and buff seemed to be the way to go.

Trunks stepped forward."The fusion didn't have much time left, Piccolo.The battle wouldn't be started before we defused.In the middle of the fight that wouldn't be very helpful.We can try to recharge our time now and hope for the best."

"You assume that I will fuse again."Hunter spat on the ground.His face was turned up in displeasure."I think you've forgotten that I still will kill you and dance on your grave.I did it last time out of necessity.This time you'll have to find another fool."****

Super Boo clapped from across the way."I commend you, Hunter.You aren't all soft after all.Trunks, what will you do now?Maybe you can fuse with the Namek."

A bead of sweat slipped down Piccolo's face.There was nothing he could do.Super Boo could snap him in half in a second.There was nothing that he could hope to do for the moment.

"Don't worry, Trunks," laughed Super Boo."I think the cavalry has arrived."Everyone looked into the distant sky where two figures very close to each other were skimming the clouds.Piccolo checked the ki of each to identify them.****

"...It's Dr. Boo."

That sparked surprise on the face of Super Boo.It made no sense to him that there would be someone else with his name.Then again everyone was going to die anyway so soon there wouldn't be.****

"And it's Gohan!" Trunks cried in exhilaration.The two figures closed in quickly and hit the ground with emphasis at a spot apart from the good guys, the bad guy, and the guy with the good guys who was really probably a bad guy.Gohan, who was holding Dr. Boo in his arms, set the man down and stood at attention.

"I wouldn't get too happy, boy," remarked Dr. Boo with an evil smirk."You see Gohan is under my control.He will do what I say, which includes killing you.Just a reminder."

"…"

Dr. Boo then looked at Boo.He examined him with a keen interest.The new Super Boo was the most well built fighter the Doctor had ever seen."I suppose you aren't just Boo.If you were I'd say that you had made a mistake by bulking up the way you did.Instead I'm sure that you are a fusion of sorts.You are able to make up for the bulky exterior with impressive speed.In light of that fact that you are indeed a perfect specimen.I would like to propose a challenge."

Boo raised an eyebrow, nothing more.

"I give you Son Gohan.He is capable of immense power.He is able to tap into just about all of it as a result of his training with a god, but since then he has grown in power.Now he has lost touch with his supreme strength, but I have given that back to him.He can't hold back unless I tell him to, so he can now fight at the potential he was meant to."

"You are wasting my time.I should kill you right now." At those words Gohan zanzokened in front of Dr. Boo and became a human shield.Super Boo did not move, but was impressed by the Doctor's control over such a strong fighter.

"As you can see he is ready to fight… are you?"Gohan's was one of determination.All he knew was that Super Boo was the enemy and that Dr. Boo had to give the order before he could attack.The fact that two very good friends of his were nearby meant nothing to him.Only to fight Super Boo and winning. 

Super Boo, though, was less enthusiastic.He actually began to yawn."If you must then send him out to die.I don't mind sacrificing anybody."

"NO!"Piccolo interjected himself in between every one of them.He had listened to enough.As soon as Gohan had arrived Piccolo had breathed a sigh of relief.Gohan was alive and well, even if he was under the Doctor's control.Now the slimy man planned to sacrifice the half Saiyan.For what reason?It didn't matter.Piccolo was going to put a stop to this.

"And just what do you think you are doing?" asked Dr. Boo, as if he didn't know.

"If you try and order Gohan to fight then I'm going to have to tear your lungs open.You will not use Gohan as a puppet!" Piccolo balled up his fists, shaking viciously.The anger flowing through him was insane.It was taking over and much like a Saiyan he didn't have a say in it.By nature Piccolo was able to control himself more, but this time was different. ****

"How are you going to stop him?Fight him?He'll fight you to the very end, you know." Dr. Boo rubbed his chin."There isn't a thing you can do.If you try to attack me Gohan will kill you plain and simple.Do you want to risk that?Can you fight Gohan without killing him if he is trying to kill you?I don't think you can."

** **

**Super Boo sighed and rolled his eyes.Then he fell backward to the ground like a falling tree.With a thud he hit, but that wasn't the only sound.**

"He's…" Piccolo couldn't get the other word out.To do so would be to admit to himself and everyone else around at that point what he didn't want to; that Super Boo was just that strong.

"Unreal!" was the only thing that Trunks could say.He too was flabbergasted by Super Boo's complete disregard for them all.

"Tell me he's joking."Hunter stepped forward and "joined" Piccolo.He was tired of the seemingly endless talking.Someone was going start fighting or he was going to start the fight."That's it.I don't care how strong he is.I'm going to let out some frustrations on someone."

"Hunter!"This voice came from a little ways off.It caught Hunter's attention and interest enough to make him look to see whom the source was.It was, in fact, b-chan who had called out.She too looked ready for battle.Krillan was right next to her, but was less brave.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"This isn't the time to fight.This is the time to think things through.You have to get out of here with Trunks.There is no way you can beat Boo now."Her face was stern but she spoke with feeling.She knew the situation was hopeless.Before it was a slight chance that Hunter could have stood a fight with Boo.He might not have lasted long, but he would be able to fight him nonetheless.Now that was an impossible dream.Hunter knew it; he just didn't want to let on that he did.It sickened him that every time she said something to him it was basically true.Hunter was stuck now.His pride as a loner and his common sense clashed like titans.

"Trunks… Hunter."Started Piccolo.His voice was low as if he were silently grieving to himself."Get out of here.Let me deal with Super Boo.I know how to beat him."That statement took everyone by surprise.It also managed to stir Super Boo who had previously been sleeping the whole time.As he sat up he looked as if he was on the verge of busting out in hysterical laughter.Piccolo, a Namek, thinking he could beat Super Boo on his own?

"Piccolo."Krillan wasn't much of a whiner.He could be a coward, but a whiner he was not.He knew that Piccolo at his peak couldn't beat Super Boo.It wasn't possible in the least.That meant that Piccolo had a plan.It didn't take long to figure it out.Krillan had known the Namek long enough to understand totally.He turned to b-chan and whispered something.She nodded back and began to put distance between herself and everyone else.Krillan approached the group and headed right over to Trunks.They both locked eyes together, transferring messages without words.Trunks then flew after b-chan and they held off at about 1 mile away from the group.Dr. Boo watched all of this transpire with a slight interest.

_As I thought.They know that they cannot win this battle, so they are pulling out.They only person here with a chance to defeat Super Boo is Son Gohan.They will leave him to battle and then will try to release him from my control.The fools don't understand that it is useless to try.They can't begin to understand what kind of a hold I have on Son Gohan.The chip in his brain is practically indestructible.Son Gohan himself couldn't break it._

Now everyone but Krillan, Piccolo, and Hunter remained of the "good guys".Krillan didn't have long to stay, but he did feel a necessity to try to get Hunter to leave the scene.

"Hunter.I'm only going to say this once-"

"Save your breath.I know what's going on." Hunter gritted his teeth and fired up his ki."Don't think this is the last you have seen of me, Boo!"Hunter zoomed off in the direction of b-chan, Krillan blinking the whole time.Finally he left as well, leaving the Doctor, Gohan, Piccolo, and Super Boo alone.

"Seems we finally are down to the final four." Super Boo rubbed his chin."Unless you plan on fighting, Dr., I suggest that you find another place to be right now.Before you get any ideas the only reason I'm sparing your life is the fact that you seem to have taken control of my opponent.We wouldn't want him to suddenly stop fighting if I killed you, would we?"

"Enough of this!"Piccolo was staring a hole right through Super Boo, but at the same time he was making sure to gather his ki to the highest point that it would go.This was going to take all of his power to pull off.He had never tried it before simply because it would be far too dangerous to do on the earth.Now that wasn't a concern; Super Boo would most certainly destroy the planet if he weren't stopped before hand.

"Just what do you think you are doing?" demanded Dr. Boo.Piccolo ignored him and continued on.Dr. Boo motioned to Gohan to take him away from the area.They were off in a flash.Piccolo sighed slightly.If Dr. Boo was paranoid then Piccolo might get the attack off before Gohan was in range to feel any of the effect.

"I believe I have the same question as the Doctor?" said Super Boo.He wasn't worried, but Piccolo seemed ready to bet everything on one shot and that always interested him.Every race had done it at one point and Boo had always seen it as amusing.

"You'll see soon enough."Piccolo widened his stance on the ground.As he did the floor began to buckle under the intense weight of his ki and power.The black energy was striking the floor with alarming consistency, ripping it apart.Piccolo stood, relaxed almost, with his fists resting at his thighs.He looked almost completely complacent.He hadn't a care in the world.That wasn't true, but he gave that impression.

"I can hardly wait."

Piccolo intensified his energy output and really began to remodel the landscape.Entire chunks were beginning to float up into the air.There they were vaporized by all of the ki in the atmosphere.Piccolo actually sank into the ground, the weight of his ki too much for the earth to handle.

"I have seen what you can do, Boo.Right now you are strong, but you are not unbeatable."The Namek's head rose until he and Boo were face to face."I don't care how much stronger you have gotten.There is always someone capable of beating you.In this case it may not be me, but you won't make it away from the battlefield this time."

Super Boo managed a good laugh as a result of that last comment."I think you are deluding yourself, Piccolo.What make you think that I would run away from you?You can't begin to compare to me now.I am your superior, plain and simple."

Piccolo's power up intensified.Still he kept dialogue with Boo, showing his intensive training in concentration."I might not be able to beat you now, but I will die trying if I have to.Remember that an opponent willing to sacrifice his life is the most dangerous of all.They have nothing else to lose because they are all ready sacrificing it all.Even if I just make a small little dent in your armor I'll die happy."

"Don't count on that happening."

The Namek slowly raised his right hand up to his forehead and rested his middle and index fingers on it."I wouldn't be so sure.I created this technique to kill Goku.It was meant to drill a hole through his heart.I doubt that will work on you."A power flare from Piccolo's energy surged up and awakened Super Boo a bit.

"Guilty as charged."

"Keep joking.You won't be laughing so much after I'm done.This technique in its normal form would simply poke an easily healed hole in your body.I plan on doing more damage than that.This Kamikaze attack will be the end of you."

A slight yawn escaped from Super Boo's lips.He was getting bored again, although the still surging a growing power display before him caused him a very small bit of concern."Believe me, Green Boy, I've heard this all before.Everyone thinks that they are going to be the one to destroy me, but no one does.You will be no different.My body is indestructible now."

"Maybe now, but was it before?"

That struck a cord with Super Boo.He didn't like to made to look weak.

"You know very well that the last time we fought you had no chance of winning.You had to steal the energy from your brother to get to the point where you are now.I have achieved all of my strength through my own training.Even I didn't know I could get as strong as I am right now.However, I never even considered going down the path that you have.Regardless of the outcome of this particular battle, you can consider yourself beaten… by the green man."

"You never beat me!Prove that now, Namek!"

"Too late.This is a completely new battle.It's 1-0, my favor."

"NO!" Super Boo tore at the top of his head with his hands, digging his fingers down.He didn't want to hear those words because he knew they were true.Admitting defeat wasn't something that he took lightly.There was only one thing to do about it."I'm going to rip you to shreds, Piccolo!I'll destroy you so completely that you will never again question my superiority!"Super Boo's power now began to surge.

"…"

"What's wrong?No comebacks, Piccolo?"Boo's eyes were glowing a bright, blood red.His mouth was curled up in the most sinister smile that Piccolo had ever seen."Let's hear one of those comebacks now.I dare you."

"Loser."

What followed after that simple word from Piccolo was almost ungodly.Super Boo let loose a howl of horrific magnitude.Behind it was the force of 20 hurricanes.It was a sound wave with the force of a planet-destroying beat behind it.Piccolo was almost tossed from his spot and thrown around in the wind like a rag doll.Only his determination to finish his plan kept him rooted where he was and it wasn't doing a great job.It didn't really matter in the end.Super Boo was on the verge of doing exactly what Piccolo wanted.

"How dare… ARRRRRRRRGHHHHHHH!"Super Boo actually sounded like he was in pain.He could try to kill Piccolo, but that wouldn't change a thing about what had already happened.That wasn't going to stop him.Letting every bit of anger overtake him Super Boo pounced like a hungry tiger hoping to get his hands around the head and neck of the one who dared claim a victory over the most powerful man in existence.

Piccolo chuckled silently to himself.The plan had worked and Super Boo was now using his least amount of power possible.Piccolo had a chance to put a dent in him.If nothing else it would bruise his ego when he finally realized what had happened.That much Piccolo would take.Something as simple as a bruised ego could prove fatal for someone like Super Boo.As the demon lunged at him Piccolo gathered all his energy at his fingertips.With the amount that he had stored there it was amazing that it was possible.

_I've reached the final level that a Namekian fighter can hope to reach.Still, even after I did so after years of training, it didn't seem to make a difference.I have already lost most reasons to continue training.Goku is no longer my blood rival.Son Gohan no longer needs my help in his own training.Despite breaking through my final wall in my own training I have lost all reasons for doing so.I haven't just decided to do this because I might be able to take Boo down.That I would have done anyway regardless of my situation.I need to do this because there is no other way to use the power that I have finally gained.This is my final warrior's test.I've already evened the playing field a bit.No one can be at full power while as upset as he is… hopefully.The rest is up to this one technique.Gohan.I hope you will understand when you become yourself again.I have nothing else more to prove and nothing else to lose._

_ _

Piccolo smirked ever so briefly.It vanished just as soon as it appeared, replaced by a look of complete concentration.With the grace of an eagle he swiftly moved his two fingers from his forehead to his left shoulder, and then from there to a point in front of himself where they were pointing straight at their target.Immediately they began to spark with the life of the energy stored within them.The full potential of it was apparent in seconds.

"What?"It was entirely too late when Super Boo finally realized what Piccolo had duped him into doing.He was only moments away and even with his enhanced everything he could raise his power in time.

There was a calm air around Piccolo.It was almost silent.Piccolo himself was complacent.He simply stared at his foe with unwavering eyes.The moment of truth was now.

_Goodbye Gohan.You were the first friend I had ever had.I owe you everything.You made me what I am today.I can't begin to express my gratitude.Son Goku, you are easily the light of the world.I also have you to thank for what I have become.Your attitude towards life and your complete understanding of the battle.It was you who believe that Gohan could defeat Cell when the rest of us did not.You are truly amazing.Trunks, you are only a teen now.Your future self was much like Goku in that he could not stand to see injustice done.You are a brave boy, taking on the Majin Buu's of the world and even Hunter.You are brave to the end.Tenshinhan, the strongest human alive.You train to become stronger than Goku.You know you can't do it, but you go on anyway.You interject yourself when needed most even though you are outmatched every time.The sign of a true hero.Krillan.You are the biggest coward I have ever seen, but you fight anyway.Your dedication to the protection of earth and your friends is uncanny.You are truly a good person.Even you, Vegeta.The most arrogant and self-serving Prince I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.You always were trying to be one step ahead of everyone.You fought along side and against us, all the while claiming that you didn't care.So what did you do?You sacrificed yourself to save the rest of us.Even though it didn't work, I didn't thank you personally.This is how I plan to do that.Goodbye everyone.I pray to Dende that you all survive._

_ _

All of Piccolo's ki swirled around his two fingers for a moment.It was like an intense light/electrical show.It then was sucked back into his fingers for a brief moment.

Piccolo blinked his eyes once and then spoke."Genocide."

**********

Goten was fed up with all of his problems.He had come back to Dr. Boo's laboratory in order to free his brother from whatever control Dr. Boo had over him.He thought he might have found the main computer that was indeed controlling Gohan.He never had a chance to find out because almost as soon as he entered the room he was attacked by a bunch of crazed, toy ninjas.As if that wasn't enough for anyone to be pushed over the edge the ensuing 'attack' was perpetrated by a couple of delusional monkeys.Goten managed to get away from all of them, but that didn't help much.The next opponent turned out to be a massive mobile suit.The only saving grace was that it was piloted by the still crazed ninjas.They didn't last long.Now Goten had exited the other side of the room and was making his way out of the place.A new plan was about to be put into action.

"This stinks.I still haven't found the main computer that is controlling Gohan.What am I going to do now?"

"You could start by following me, Goten."Rae placed her hand on Goten's shoulder after he turned around to see her.His face lit up with glee and he embraced her, shaking her around in mid-air in a bear hug of love.

"Rae!I'm so happy to see you!What are you doing here?"

"Aspa and I are trying to help Videl back to herself.Aspa's upstairs right now working on her.It should only be a few minutes.Aspa said she knows exactly what to do to bring Videl back."

"That's great!Can she do the same for Gohan?"

Rae nodded her head, but it wasn't as positive a reaction as Goten hoped it would be.That meant there was a catch somehow.

"In theory it would work…" Rae paused in between words, not wanting to convey the bad news, "But in order to do it Aspa would have to have Gohan upstairs in the lab.He would have to be brought here… and I don't think anyone can do that except maybe your father."

Goten now understood Rae's lack of celebration over the good news.Goku wouldn't be easy to get a hold of at a time like this.That meant Gohan was out of luck for a while.Goten could try to bring him back himself… but that wasn't going to happen.Goten loved his brother, but he knew he didn't stand a chance at the time being.

Goten wiped his forehead of sweat."Okay.I'll follow you upstairs to the lab.After Aspa is finished with Videl then we'll talk about what to do about Gohan.We have to do whatever it takes to stop him from doing anything he'll regret."

Rae agreed.Gohan was a potentially dangerous weapon.Dr. Boo knew that.That was why he chose Gohan as his pet.They would need all the help they could muster, so waiting for Aspa to finish was ideal.They both silently ran back upstairs, Rae leading the way through the corridors, to join the Saiyan and the Human Android in the lab above.

**********

18 woke up with a very large arm around her throat.Not the good morning call that she would have chosen.Cell had teleported himself and 18 back to Dende's lookout.17 had already come to.He didn't dare try to do anything just yet, though.This was Cell he was dealing with.Old memories die hard.

Cell grunted when 18 opened her eyes."You've finally woken up.I was beginning to think that you were going to sleep this one out.That wouldn't make it any fun."

Needless to say 18 began to struggle with all of her might.Cell had problems holding on to her, but he succeeded in keeping his grip.17 could feel his blood boiling inside of his veins, rage going off the page.

"Let her go Cell, and I might not hurt you too badly." 17 knew it was a lie, and he knew that Cell knew that it was a lie.It didn't matter; it seemed to carry more weight that way.

"No.I don't think so, 17" Cell tightened his grip instead, making 18 struggle more than before.Now she was trying to keep oxygen in her body as well."Instead I think I'll just absorb you and your sister again."

Everyone's reaction was the same.Speechlessness.Cell's was laughter.

"Didn't think I could do that anymore, did you?Well I can, and I plan on doing just that."His face turned up and he squinted his eyes.From the 'nub' it had become Cell's tail began to quiver.Suddenly it burst out amidst a surge of green fluids.It waved around behind him for a moment before curling itself over his shoulder.He rested the tip on 18's head.

"Get that disgusting thing off of me!"18 wrenched her entire body to the side and was finally able to squirm free of Cell's grip.She continued twisting until she was belly-to-belly with him.At that point 18 had a look on her face that was just plain scary.Cell was scared.

KA-POW!

18 reared back and smacked Cell with a head butt to his shoulder.He lurched back in an awkward position, holding that point on his body.18 joined her brother, who was relieved that she had broken free from Cell's hold.

"It seems you've lost, Cell."17 placed his hands on his hips.This was the first time he had ever had the advantage over Cell in any capacity."You can't handle one of us on your own.You don't stand a chance against the both of us.We show no mercy, especially to the likes of you."

"And don't think we're going to let you go." 18 moved a strand of hair from her face to behind her ear."I've got a lot of frustrations I need to take out on you.You've made my life a living hell before.I think we should return the favor."

Cell folded his arms, smirking the whole time."Ladies and Gentlemen.I believe you are challenging me to a match.Not only that, but you want to it end with in my death.If you want a death match you shall receive it, but don't think that just because you were able to get away from me that you will be able to kill me."He shook his finger at them."That just won't happen."

"Like Hell it won't!"17 hopped into the air.For just a split second he floated there, poised in a runner's position but not moving anywhere.The next second he was on a collision course with Cell.Just before impact Cell launched a punch at him, but 17 slammed on the brakes and went in reverse.

"HAAAAA!"18, who had snuck around the backside, rammed the tip of her elbow into the back of Cell's neck.It was a blow that Cell felt all the way down to the bottom of his feet.It threw his equilibrium off and he skidded across the floor, fumbling around the entire time.18 dove into the ground and resurfaced right under Cell.She punched him high into the air.

17 stationed himself in the path of the shooting star soaring into the air."Batter up!"Spinning around one time for momentum 17 whacked Cell on the back with the second devastating blow already.Cell than began to resemble a bullet shot at the lookout.

18 cupped her arms like she was going to catch him.She waited until the last minute until he was right on top of her to move.He crashed all the way through the ground and came out the other time.This time he was headed toward earth itself.

"Oops.Butterfingers."18 walked over to the side of the ground to look over.17 landed next to her.

"I don't think you have a future in baseball, sis."

"Probably not, but that won't stop me from batting him around for a little longer.I think we should finish him now."

17 closed his eyes and breathed in deeply."You are right.We don't want to give him the chance to get ready for us.We'll kill him now and be done with it."

"Alright. Let's do it."18 dived down through the air, this time her target being a living being instead of the ground.17 took an extra second on the tower.He had so little time lately to get into the battles.Everyone was screwing with his mind and manipulating him.Finally he was back in control and with a chance to defeat his arch nemesis.What more could a boy ask for?

"Alright, Cell.I've earned this fight.I want to see what you are made of… literally."

**********

Author's Note:I'm sorry about not posting any new chapters in such a long time.My computer went down for about a month and then life got in the way after it was restored.Now that I've got things under control I should be able to get the chapters out in some sort of timely fashion.I really am sorry if I upset anyone by not updating or if anyone was kept waiting too long.Just know that not all the circumstances were under my control.If you have any questions, concerns, or if you just want to send me hate mail you can mail me at [saiyanhunter@hotmail.com][1]

Once again sorry and please enjoy the rest of the story

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   [1]: mailto:saiyanhunter@hotmail.com



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